
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




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THRILLING SCENES 


IN 

THE PERSIAN KINGDOM 


THE STORY OF A SCRIBE 


By Edwin MacMinn 




NEW YORK: HUNT & EATON 
CINCINNATI: CRANSTON & CURTS 
1892 


3 ioy/A 



Copyright, 1892. by 


HUNT & EATON, 
New York. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I. PjiGE 

Ahban the Scribe 7 

CHAPTER II. 

The King’s Edict 13 

CHAPTER III. 

The Fall of Babylon 26 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Reign op Darius 37 

CHAPTER V. 

Shall War be Declared? 47 

CHAPTER VI. 

Dreams Decide the Issue 58 

CHAPTER VII. 

Babylon Humiliated 74 

CHAPTER VIII. 

The Feast of One Hundred and Eighty Days 86 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Glory op Persia’s Power 97 

CHAPTER X. 

Vashti Dethroned 106 


4 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER XL 

Xep.xes and Artabanus ll*? 

CHAPTER XII. 

Crossing the Hellespont 129 

CHAPTER XIII. 

The Destruction op Persian Power in Europe 142 

CHAPTER XI Y. 

The Yengeance of Yashti 154 

CHAPTER XY. 

Esther Crowned Queen 168 

CHAPTER XYI. 

The Recreations of the King 180 

CHAPTER XYII. 

Haman’s Wicked Plot 190 

CHAPTER XYIII. 

Esther’s Feast 201 

CHAPTER XIX. 

The Elevation of Mordecai 211 

CHAPTER XX. 

Haman’s Destruction 223 

CHAPTER XXL 

Mordecai as Prime Minister 235 

CHAPTER XXI r. 

Themistocles, the Athenian 245 


CONTENTS. 


5 


CHAPTER XXIII. 

Artaxerxes Becomes King 257 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Ezra Leads the Jews to Jerusalem 269 

CHAPTER XXV. 

War and Peace 276 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Nehemiah Visits Jerusalem 287 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Conquering Difficulties 297 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

The Consecration of the People 306 


CHAPTER XXIX. 


The Completed Work 


316 



!i^54*.v^.’^;.:r.'"i;: ■■ ' .- - :«v.. -■■ ’ 



THRILLING SCENES 


IN THE 


PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CHAPTER I. 


AHBAN THE SCRIBE. 


Y name is Aliban, and its meaning is “ brother of 



1 V 1 the wise.” This name was given to me because 
I was devoted from my birth to tlie service of a scribe. 
Our people deem accurate records of all things per- 
taining to our history to be absolutely necessary. For 
our history shows the manner in which tlie divine 
Kuler of the universe has preserved a people to 
spread the glory of his name among all other peoples. 
My home is in the city'of Jerusalem, the most favored 
of all the cities, because the temple of the true God is 
here. Yet it is the city punished as severely as any 
other city for its sins, although in this respect it is 
more favored than any other city, for God has not 
blotted it out of existence, but has returned to it and 
has renewed his blessings to it every time it has re- 
pented of its sins and has pleaded before him for a 
renewal of his grace. 


8 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

There were many things in our history as a people 
to awaken our praise. We had just been enjoying 
such an occasion when the call came to me to write 
this document. It came about in this way. The 
new moon of Adar was pointing its sharp ends 
upward over the city of Jerusalem. It was sur- 
rounded with a galaxy of brilliant stars, all reminding 
us of the favor of God in past ages. In the streets 
and upon the housetops of the city multitudes of peo- 
ple were watching it with gladness in their hearts and 
joy on their faces. The people were as happy as they 
could be on the eve of a joyful festival. 

All the preceding day the people had been fasting. 
They laid aside their handsome robes and all orna- 
ments and engaged in lamentations, signs of distress, 
and prayers. How they set their tables and prepared 
to enjoy bountiful feasts and to send portions to their 
neighbors. 

It was the feast of Puriin, preceded by the fast of 
Esther. As a festival it had been recently introduced, 
and the people entered into it heartily because the 
events it commemorated were so recent. It lasted 
for two days. During its progress the story of the 
deliverance of the people was read by learned scribes, 
and the people in response shouted praises of the 
noble Queen Esther, and curses at the mention of 
the name of Hainan. When the daylight came the 
people clothed themselves in their richest and gayest 
garments, and with songs and smiles greeted friends, 


AHBAN THE SCRIBE. 


9 


kinsmen, and strangers of their own nation who were 
visiting Jerusalem. The festival was a glorious holi- 
day, and although some of the elders had opposed it 
the people followed the majority of elders and threw 
their energies into its observance. Strangers in Jeru- 
salem, impressed by the enthusiasm of the people, 
said, “ This is one of the great feasts of the Jews.” 
To which an elder replied, ‘‘It is not great as are the 
feasts instituted by Moses, but it is great in thanks- 
givings and gladness, for it commemorates the saving 
of our people from the enemies who would have slain 
us all.” 

As the people in the city were going hither and 
thither in their gladness a company of old men were 
seen slowly walking up the slopes of the Mount of 
Olives. Every few moments they stopped to rest and 
gaze upon the joyous multitudes beneath them. At 
length they reached a spot from which they could see 
the entire city with its deep surrounding valleys. 
Here they sat dowm under the shade of a great olive- 
tree and looked at the scene before them. The hill 
was made beautiful with its hundreds of clusters of 
almond blossoms, but far more beautiful were the gay 
robes of the multitudes going in and out of the city 
gates. 

The aged men were not long left alone, for a com- 
pany of youths discovered them and hastened to them, 
and with reverent manner but glowing with enthusi- 
asm begged the favor of discourse. 


10 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

Tlieir desires were most laudable, for these aged 
men were Mordecai, Ezra, Neliemiali, and Atarab, 
the men by whom the deliverance of the nation had 
been secured. They were the instruments in the 
liands of Providence to secure the preservation of the 
children of God and to give to j^osterity the story of 
the manner in which God led and trained his people. 

The request of the youths was pleasing to the aged 
men. They well knew that the strength of the peo- 
ple’s devotion to their religion was largely determined 
by their retaining a full knowledge of the career of 
their fathers and an understanding of the purposes of 
God in thus leading them. Only from the lips ' of 
inspired men could this knowledge be obtained. Nat- 
ure did not reveal it. The mere history of the chosen 
people as a part of the history of nations did not 
make it manifest. From the world’s way of seeing 
the chosen people were poor, weak, despised, and 
neglected, while the ungodly and idolatrous nations 
possessed power, wealth, and stability. But God liad 
revealed other things to his servants, and true great- 
ness and true success did not consist in the splendor 
of material show nor in the glittering development 
of human art, but in the spiritual forces of the soul. 
This could only be made manifest by the teachings of 
wise men. Thus the desire of these youths to know 
gave the aged men glad hearts. To them on this day 
of beauty and gladness nothing was more beautiful 
than the spirit of these young men, and there was no 


AHBAN THE SCRIBE. 


11 


greater gladness than tliat which surged within their 
own hearts. 

What wouldst thou know ? ” asked Ezra of the 
youths ; “ what we were conversing about in mutual 
entertainment to pass the time, or deeper things, such 
as the causes bringing about this happy day 

“We would learn the causes of these festivities,” I 
replied, for I was one of the young men. “ For, 
while we are glad in sympathy with the gladness of 
the multitudes, we are not satisfied with such a foun- 
dation for our joy ; we would rather have it spring 
from conviction of the mind, and rejoice in the pres- 
ence and favor of God as apprehended within our 
own souls.” 

“ O, worthy youth ! ” replied Mordecai, “ thou 
hast a good spirit within thee. Thou wilt be a 
worthy one to communicate to future generations the 
knowledge which shall fill thine own soul. Thou art 
a chosen vessel of the Lord.” 

“We would know,” said Mesheck, “how much our 
fathers associated with the nations surrounding them, 
how they were brought into relations with the Baby- 
lonians, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Phenicians. 
We would know how the Samaritans became so filled 
with enmity to us, and why the Persians who came so 
near destroying us at last became such good friends.” 

“ Thou hast majpped out a long series of discourses,” 
replied Ezra, “some of which it is not necessary for 
us to tell, because you can find it in our sacred writ- 


12 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


ings which are now within the reach of all. But 
there are some things not in our writings which thou 
art anxious to learn, such as the relations of thine an- 
cestors to the Greeks. This will involve the story 
of the great Persian war, and it will interest thee. 
But Atarah is best acquainted with the story of the 
Greeks, and we will look to him for a revelation of 
their past in this wonderful story ; for he was an eye- 
witness of many of its most stirring scenes. !Nehe- 
miah can tell of many things recorded in the annals 
of the Persian kings which he has heard the scribes 
read to the king to inform him of the deliberations 
and deeds of his predecessors. Mordecai can give an 
inside view of royal life in Shushan, and I can inform 
you of my work. Ahban, thou ready writer, thou 
canst remember and record our words that they may 
be given to future generations ; then they, too, wdll 
• be able to intelligently rejoice on this glad festival 
day.” 

We now cast ourselves on the grass at the feet of 
these worthy men and listened attentively to what 
they said. Ezra began by telling us the story of 


THE KING’S EDICT. 


13 


CHAPTER 11. 

THE KING’S EDICT. 

Persian kingdom was the fifth of tlie great 
1 historical monarchies. Cyrus, of the family 
known as the Achaemenidse, was the founder, and 
he shaped the policy of the kingdom so grandly that 
following generations revered him as the model king. 
His policy aimed to bring all nations under his domin- 
ion. To accomplish this all male members of his 
kingdom were trained as soldiers, the court was estab- 
lished in the midst of the camp, and severe military 
discipline was enforced. As long as this was carried 
out the army was victorious ; but when afterward the 
love of luxury modified their discipline worms of 
vice, bred by the decay of vital energy, fed upon the 
heart of the kingdom, and it lost its vigor and power. 

Cyrus was succeeded by his son Cambyses, who is 
known as the mad king. He became very jealous of 
his brother, the beautiful, popular, and brave Smer- 
dis, and put him to death. When Cambyses died a 
Magian, who greatly resembled the martyr Smerdis, 
put forth the story that Smerdis was not dead, but 
had been concealed. Many believed this, and because 
of liis close resemblance and careful guarding of all 
approaches to his presence the fraud for a while sue- 


14 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

ceeded ; but tlie imposture was suspected. When it 
became certain seven of the representatives of the 
most noble families in the kingdom, led bj Darius, 
the son of Ilystaspes, entered the royal palace, slew 
the pretender and his counselors, and placed Darius 
upon the throne. 

In selecting one of their number for this exalted 
position certain compensatory privileges were granted 
the others of the seven. When the lot was taken one 
of them, Otanes, withdrew his privilege of being a 
contestant upon the condition that he should never 
be in subjection to the king. Thus his family be- 
came the only absolutely free family in the kingdom. 

“Each of the conspirators was granted the freedom 
of the royal court — that is, they could enter into the 
presence of tlie king without observing the formalities 
exacted of all others. They were also distinguished 
by their dress. Until this time all the people wore 
their turbans with the ton turned backward, the kino: 
alone wearing his upright. When the conspirators 
entered the palace to destroy the pretender they 
turned the back part of their turbans forward in 
order to readily recognize each other. Consequently, 
as a mark of honor, they were permitted to wear their 
turbans in that manner ever afterward. 

“ They were still further honored by being consti- 
tuted the chief official advisers of the king. Their 
social pre-eminence was established by the king being 
required to select his queen from one of their fami- 


THE KING’S EDICT. 


15 


lies. Thus they were the most distinguished of the 
Persians. 

One of the smallest nations subject to the Persian 
king was that of the Jews. Their rulers had been 
dethroned, their nobles transported to foreign lands, 
their city and temple destroyed, and their people scat- 
tered in every direction. Their neighbors gazed upon 
the ruins of their greatness, and scouted with derision 
tlie pride of race which still remained with even the 
lowest of them. 

“ But the history of the Persians and the Jews is 
interwoven as the warp and wcof of God’s dealing 
with humanity. Prophecies require it to be fulfilled, 
promises to the fathers are kept, prayers are answered, 
and the way of the Messiah is opened along this 
mixed line. The blending of their beliefs makes 
clearer the truth of divine revelation. The monothe- 
ism of the Persians subdues and destroys the idola- 
trous tendencies of the exiles, and when the Jews re- 
turn to their own land they possess a stronger and 
clearer knowledge of God than when they w^ere car- 
ried into exile and captivity. 

“When Darius became king the entire realm over 
which Carnbyses had ruled was in uneasy agitation. 
Carnbyses had taxed the people so severely that they 
were painfully oppressed by the burden. In order to 
win the favor of the people the false Smerdis had 
granted remission of taxes for three years — a measure 
which made him popular at once. He also began 


16 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

measures which would destroy Zoroastrianism, the 
system of religion held by the nobles of Persia. His 
fall and the re-establishment of the kingdom caused 
the restoration of Zoroastrianism and taxation. The 
people were unwilling to submit to these, and conse- 
quently rebellions broke out in many of the larger 
provinces, which required the most active measures 
by Darius to sustain his authority and preserve the 
integrity of the kingdom. 

‘‘ While the king was being troubled by this spread- 
ing feeling of discontent two embassies came from 
the western coasts of the kingdom to present their 
gifts and petitions. 

The approach of the strangers was announced by 
the blowing of trumpets at the palace gates. A few 
moments later a gayly dressed courtier entered, and, 
kneeling before the king, craved perinission to bring 
into his presence messengers from his faithful sub- 
jects in Samaria. The king extended his scepter 
toward the courtier, who immediately withdrew to 
bring before the monarch the favored suppliants. 

‘‘ The king was seated upon his throne on a raised 
platform surrounded by a multitude of evidences of 
his authority and superiority. His body was covered 
by a robe of gorgeous purple which extended to his 
ankles. Beneath the heavy fringe of this robe, on a 
stool of softest fur, rested his feet, encased in shoes of 
saffron color made of the skin of a leopard which the 
king had killed. TJJie heavy golden crown of Persia, 


THE KING’S EDICT. 


17 


studded with glittering jewels, rested upon the king’s 
broad brow. Ills perfumed hair, fragrant with the 
choicest Arabian odors and brilliant with powdered 
gold-dust, hung down to his shoulders in thick waving 
masses. Prominent officers were standing: about the 
throne-room. Beneath the throne, on the right, the 
rojal scribes were waiting to record every word 
spoken in the interview. Kear the door of the room 
a number of youths belonging to the most noble 
families were waiting to serve tlie king in whatever 
he might command them. In the anterooms were a 
number of officers, servants, soldiers, eunuchs, and 
messengers awaiting the kinn^’s commands. 

“ When tlie king was ready for the audience the 
grand chamberlain, who introduced strangers, ap- 
j^roached and presented the messengers from Samaria. 
These were men in the prime of life. As officers 
they had served in the armies of Persia from early 
youth. They were clothed in the richest apparel 
and were decorated with their most valuable jewels. 
They were dazzled by the splendor of the court into 
which they had been admitted, and were almost over- 
whelmed by the honor conferred upon them in being 
permitted to bow at the footstool of their king. As 
they remained prostrate before the king the chamber- 
lain handed him a letter containing the communica- 
tion. The king held the letter a moment in his hand, 
then directed the chief of the scribes to take it, break 

the seal, and make known to him the writing. 

2 


18 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

“ The scribe bowed until the point of liis turban 
touched the floor before the king’s footstool, took the 
letter, unrolled it, and read as follows : 

^ Tattenai, the governor, and Shethar-bozenai and 
the Apharsachites beyond the river, unto Darius the 
king, all peace. 

‘‘ ‘ Be it known unto the king, that we went into the 
province of Judah, to the house of the great God, 
which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid 
in the wall ’, and this work goeth on with diligence 
and prospereth in their hands. Then asked we those 
elders, and said unto them thus : “ Who gave yon a de- 
cree to build this house, and to flnish this wall ? ” We 
asked them their names also, to certify thee, that we 
might write the names of the men that were at the 
head of tliem. And thus they returned us answer, say- 
ing: ‘‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and 
earth, and build the house that was biiilded these 
many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded 
and flnished. But after that our fathers had provoked 
the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the 
hand of JS^ebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chal- 
dean, who destroyed this house, and carried the 
people away into Babylon. But in the flrst year of 
Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a de- 
cree to build this house of God. And the gold and 
silver vessels also of the house of God, which 
Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in 
Jerusalem, and brought them into tlie temple of 


THE KING’S EDICT, 


19 


Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the 
temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one 
whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made 
governor; and he said unto him, Take these vessels, 
go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and 
let the house of God be builded in its place. Then 
came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundations 
of the house of God which is in Jerusalem : and since 
that time even until now hath it been in building, 
and yet it is not completed. kTow therefore, if it seem 
good to the king, let there be search made in the king's 
treasure-house, which is there at Babylon, whether it 
1)0 so that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to 
build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king 
send his pleasure to ns concerning this matter.” ’ * 
When the scribe finished reading murmurs of sur- 
prise arose from some of the nobles, and one of them 
having the oversight of the kingdom said, ‘This is 
worthy of close attention, for the forests out of which 
the beams are taken and the quarries out of which 
the stones are taken are the property of the crown, 
and no man dare use them Avithout permission certi- 
fied to by the I’oyal seal.’ 

“Darius replied, ‘That is true, and if no order hath 
been given a grievous ofiense hath been committed; 
but if Cyrus hath made a decree to the effect claimed 
all is right, for a decree once made by a Persian king 
should stand forever.’ 

* Ezra V, G, etc. 


20 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


“The king now commanded the messengers from 
Samaria to stand aside while he received another 
embassj. 

“The chamberlain novr led before the king a com- 
pany of aged men, whose white hair and wrinkled 
faces at once awakened his respect. In their faces he 
read intelligence and piety, while their dress and bear- 
ing showed they were of peaceful life. They were 
the people whom the aristocratic soldier class of 
Samaria were complaining against. In a few words 
they uttered their protest against the interfering of 
the Samaritans and appealed to the king to indorse 
their undertaking. 

“ Darius listened to them attentively, then dismissed 
them and also the Samaritans, commanding them not 
to leave the court until the decree of Cyrus should be 
searched for, when he would render his judgment in 
the matter. lie also directed the chief scribe to send 
learned scribes to search for the decree. 

“ In a few days the scribes returned. In the records 
of the kingdom preserved in the treasure-house at 
Babylon they had found the index of the decrees, but 
this decree had been transferred to the palace in 
Ecbatana, whither they had gone and had found it. 

“ When both embassies had been recalled before 
the king and the original decree of Cyrns had been 
read he said to his scribe, ‘Write: “Thus saith 
Darius the king: ‘jN’'ow therefore, Tattenai, gov- 
ernor beyond the river, Shethar-bozenai, and your 


THE KING’S EDICT. 


21 


companions the Apliarsachites wliicli are bejonJ 
tlie river, be ye far from thence ; let tlie work of 
this house of God alone; let the governor of tlie 
Jews and the elders of tlie Jews build this house 
of God in its place. Moreover I make a decree 
what ye shall do to these ciders of the Jews for the 
building of this house of God : that of tlie king’s 
goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, expenses 
be given with all diligence unto these men, that they 
be not hindered. And that which they have need of, 
both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for burnt- 
offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and 
oil, according to the word of the priests which are at 
Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without 
fail : that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor unto 
the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, 
and of his sons. Also I have made a decree, that 
whosoever shall alter this word, let a beam be pulled 
out from - his house, and let him be lifted up and 
fastened thereon ; and let his house be made a dunghill 
for this : and the God that hath caused his name to 
dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples, that shall 
put forth their hand to alter the same, to destroy this 
house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have 
made a decree ; let it be done with all diligence.’ ” 
“As the messengers departed from the king’s court 
they gave evidence by their countenances of the issufi 
of their audience. The Jews were smiling and joy- 

*Ezra vi, 6, etc. 


22 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

fill, while the Samaritans walked with rigid demeanor. 
As they passed a group of courtiers one of them said, 
‘ Samaritans, you came in an evil hour to interfere 
with the religion of a people, for the king has just 
been troubled by the attempt to overthrow the re- 
ligion of his fathers, and his sympathies are with those 
wdio love the faith of their ancestors. Ye deserve 
your rebuke.’ 

“ From the palace the Jews went into that quarter 
in which their brethren of the captivity dwelt. 
Great Babylon was a bee-hive of commerce, thriv- 
ing with unsurpassed prosperity. In its streets were 
men from all parts of the world, and the costumes of 
all countries were seen in the thronged business marts. 
The aged Jewish messengers pressed on their way 
to the synagogue of their brethren to deliver to the 
people the inspired words of the prophets Zechariah 
and Tlaggai, who had commissioned them to so do as 
they began their journey from Jerusalem. 

“ As the messengers looked over the assembly they 
beheld many of the sons of Israel who had accumu- 
lated large fortunes in trading. These had learned to 
love Babylon, although it was the seat of idolatrous 
wmrship, because it was filled with wealth and gayety. 
Her nobles were clothed in purple, her daughters fed 
sumptuously, they wore the most costly jewels for 
ornaments, and they despised the poor. Jerusaleih 
seemed to these Jews as only a heap of ruins where 
sorrow, povert}^ and lamentations abounded. They 


THE KING’S EDICT. 


23 


wondered if the God of Abraham had not forgotten 

O 

his own city and caressed the idolatrous one. 

‘‘ The messengers from Jerusalem in the most 
solemn manner exhorted them not to be deceived by 
worldly pretensions. They said, ^ Hear the words of 
the Lord by Isaiah the j)rophet, concerning Babylon : 
“ Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter 
of Babylon. ... Sit thou silent, and get thee into 
darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans : for thou shalt 
no more be called The lady of kingdoms. . . . These 
two things shall come to thee in a moment in one 
day, the loss of children, and widowhood : they shall 
come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude 
of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine 
enchantments. . . . Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from 
the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell 
this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye. 
The Lord hath redeemed his servant.’’ * Hear also the 
word of the Lord by Jeremiah : “ Bemove out of the 
midst of Babylon. . . . The voice of them that flee 
and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in 
Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God. . . . Flee 
out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man 
liis soul : be not cut ofl in her iniquity. . . . Forsake 
her, and let us go every one into his own country : 
for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted 
up even to the skies.” f IIo, ho, come forth, and 
flee from the land of fhe north, saith the Lord : for I 

*Isa. xlvii, 1-9; Ivili, 20. f Jer. 1, 8, 28; li, 6, 9. 


24 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

have spread you abroad as tlie four winds of the 
heaven, saith the Lord. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that 
dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus 
saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent 
me unto the nations which spoiled you : for lie that 
toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye. . . . 
Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, 
and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem : and Jeru- 
salem shall be called A city of truth ; and the mountain 
of the Lord of hosts. The holy mountain. Thus saith 
the Lord of hosts ; There shall yet old men and old 
women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every 
man with his staff in his hand for very age. And 
the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls 
playing in the streets thereof.” ’ * 

“ Thus the messengers replied to the doubting words 
of those who had been beguiled by the seeming pros- 
perity of Babylon. 

“ "VYhen the messengers departed for Jerusalem 
profound fear fell on the Jews in Babylon, and they 
hastened to leave the city upon which the curse of 
God was pronounced. 

‘‘ ‘ Seventy years,’ a prophet had said, with the mys- 
tery of inspiration upon his lips. It was almost sev- 
enty years since Jerusalem had been burned, and 
many believed that when the seventy years were full 
the judgment of God would fall. 

“ The withdrawal of the Jews was a strange exodus. 

* Zech. ii, 6-8 ; viii, 3-6. 


THE KING’S EDICT. 


25 


Some went to Casiphia, others scattered tlirongliout 
the cities of the kingdom. The warning had been 
given and felt. But Babylon ceased not her revelry, 
nor was her splendor dimmed.” 

Ezra now paused. Seeing that he was fatigued 
Atarah said : “ Ezra, rest a while, and I will tell how 
these prophecies were made true ; for I was in that 
city during the dreadful time, and was a witness of 
the horrible details. Moreover, I have often heard 
from my master, the brave Megabyzus, of the events 
happening in the Persian camp.” 

Without further delay Atarah related the events of 
that awful time as follows. 


26 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CHAPTER III. 

THE FALL OF BABYLON. 

the first six years of his reign Darius snp- 
JL pressed rebellions in Susiana, Persia, Babylonia, 
Media, Assyria, Armenia, Parthia, Ilyrcania, Mar- 
giana, Sagartia, and Sacia. There seemed to be a 
wave of rebellion sweeping over the kingdom. 

‘‘Atrines, the leader of the conspiracy in Susiana, 
seized the moment when Babylon rebelled to strike 
against the power of the king in Susiana. Darius sent 
a general to subdue him, while he marched toward 
Babylon with his main army. 

“ The Babylonians were led by a pretender named 
Hebuchadnezzar, who proclaimed that he was the 
son of Habonidus, their last native king. Ilis 
name — that of their greatest king — was sufficient 
to arouse the ardor of the Babylonians, and follow- 
ing his standard they drove from their city all who 
were loyal to the Persian king. The priests and 
nobles of Babylon indorsed his claims, and his magic 
name, the splendor of his temple sacrifice, and the 
magnificence of the martial display of his army com- 
bined completely won the populace. 

“ The pretender offered his first resistance at the 
fords of the Tigris, on the highway between Susa and 


THE FALL OF BABYLON. 


27 


Babj’lon, where he endeavored to prevent the army 
of Darius from crossing the river. But the Persians 
drove the Babylonians from the river, destroyed their 
war vessels, and rapidly marched toward their city. 
The pretender erected a splendid tlirone on the bank 
of the Euphrates, near Babylon, wliere he again at- 
tempted to stay the march of the Persians. But the 
terrific onslaught of the trained soldiers of Persia, 
armed with short swords, was resistless, and Darius 
was again victorious. Hosts of Babylonians were 
slain, and their king, with onl}^ a remnant of his ariny, 
fled to his city and barred the great gates of brass. 
Darius marched his army into the plains surround- 
ing the city and established his camp, putting the city 
in a state of siege. 

“ Babylon was the greatest city man ever built. T1 e 
city was in the form of a square. Its walls were fifty- 
six miles around, or fourteen miles on each side. They 
were eighty-five feet thick, and were of the enormous 
height of three hundred feet. Above the level of the 
walls two hundred towers arose at regular intervals. 
Around the walls was a deep and wide moat, filled 
with water, which an enemy must cross before he 
could attack the walls. There were a hundred great 
gates of brass in the walls guarded by the bravest ?nd 
the most loyal of the native soldiers of Babylon. The 
Euphrates River flowed through the city, its banks shut 
in by liigh walls and gates of brass. In times of peace 
the gates were kept open, and the river was the thor- 


28 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

onglifare for commerce from above and below the 
citj. But the people remembered that through the 
carelessness of the guards Cyrus, many years before, 
by this way entered their city, and now placed the 
most faithful watchmen in charge of the gates to pre- 
vent an enemy from ever doing so again. 

“As the Persians pitched their tents before the walls 
the Babylonians from the walls and towers shouted 
derisively at them. Darius knew that it was folly to 
attack such walls, but he could keep the Babylonians 
within them, and it would be only a question of time 
as to how long they could endure the privations of a 
siege. 

“ Months passed away, and the Babylonians began to 
feel the scarcity of food. Pevelry ceased. Sumptu- 
ous living was a memory of the past. The wealthy 
stood by the side of the poor begging for bread. The 
looked-for rebellions in other parts of the kingdom to 
divert the attention of Darius had failed, and the 
Persian line about the city I’emained unbroken. Men 
and women with haggard faces passed each other in 
silence along the streets. The shops and bazars were 
closed. Luxury became offensive, because it only 
mocked their sufferings. The soldiers became discon- 
tented. They called the people of the city worthless 
idlers. The sentiment spread that idlers should be 
put out of the way and not be allowed to eat the food 
of the soldiers. 

“ At length the rulers of the city passed a law that 


THE FALL OF BABYLON. 


29 


each man should save his mother and one woman to 
cook his food, and all other women in the city should 
be taken to a designated place and be strangled to 
death. Thus the food would be husbanded for the 
soldiers, and tlie city might hold out until rebellion 
or fatigue would drive Darius from the siege. 

‘‘ What a terrible deed this was ! Those who had 
fared sumptuously every day, upon whom nobles and 
men of wealth lavished riches and luxuries, who had 
been loved, honored, and petted, were suddenly taught 
that they were an encumbrance, and because they were 
females, and could not live without eating, they must 
die. 

“ Who can draw the picture of that awful day when 
innocence, beauty, gentleness, and affection were so 
harshly trampled under foot ? Mothers whose sons 
were not now living to protect them ; widows who had 
been left sorrowing in their loneliness ; happy, loving 
daughters whose ruddy cheeks and sparkling eyes 
were bright with the buoyancy of youth ; charming 
little maidens knowing only caresses, now torn from 
their homes and put to death by the will of their own 
people. Truly the warning of the Jewish prophets 
was the divine mercy and watch-care toward those 
whom He called his own. 

“ In his tent, overlooking the Persian camp, tlie vast 
plain, and the besieged city, Darius sat gazing intently 
at the walls within which so cruel a deed was being 
perpetrated. The need of the reduction of these walls 


30 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

became tlie more imperative every day. The strength 
of Babylon annoyed him, for until this city was over- 
thrown he could not be sure of peace in any part of 
his kingdom. Ilis generals w^ere by his side, and he 
spoke to them as familiarly as to brothers of the re- 
bellions throughout the kingdom and the need of van- 
quishing Babylon. 

“Their conversation was interrupted by a beautiful 
Persian lad coming to the king and kneeling before 
him to deliver a message. The lad wore shoes and 
stockings of the color of gold. lie was clothed in a 
long Median robe of richest silk embroidered with 
gold, which was gathered in folds around his waist by 
a scarlet girdle. On the top of his head he wore a 
loosely folded turban of softest wool, pointing for- 
ward; indicating that he was a member of a family 
of one of the conspirators. IBs hair was hanging 
over his shoulders in a mass of curls richly perfumed. 
His bright eyes sparkled with intelligence and smiles 
wreathed his face as he informed the king that Atri- 
nes, the leader of the rebellion in Susiana, had been 
captured, and that the guards w’ere now bringing him 
to the king’s camp. 

“ The king tossed the boy a beautiful j ewel to reward 
liim for the good news. As the lad retired Darius 
turned toward one of his generals who had been lov- 
ingly observing the boy and said, ‘ Zopyrus, this is 
a bright youth, and you may justly be proud of being 
the father of such a son. I am pleased that you have 


THE FALL OF BABYLON. 


31 


named him Megabjziis, after his grand fatlier, who of 
the seven conspirators was unexcelled in true worth. 
I valued him above any city in the kingdom, and your 
son will grow up to be like him, and, I may say, like 
liis father also.’ 

“ Zopyrus bowed low before the king, while blushes 
of pride covered his face as he received this compli- 
ment to his father, his son, and himself. Further 
conversation was prevented by the entrance of tlie 
guards bringing the rebel Atrines for judgment. 

“ The prisoner was so heavily laden with chains that 
he could hardly walk. His splendid garments indi- 
cating his rank in the nobility had been taken from 
him, and he was clothed in the garb of a malefactor. 
His hair and beard were uncombed and unpcrfumed. 
Instead of being a handsome warrior, as he had ap- 
peared before the battle in which he lost all, he now 
had the look and mien of a wretched outcast. 

Darius liercely glared at him while he recited to 
him the nature of his guilt ; then, bidding all pres- 
ent look attentively at him, commanded that he should 
be immediately led to a spot where he could be ob- 
served from the royal tent, the camp, and the walls of 
Babylon, and there be impaled, that all might see tlie 
fate of those who wickedly rebelled against their 
king. 

‘‘ The months slowly passed away, yet the walls of 
the city frowned as sullenly and the gates of brass 
remained as firmly closed as at first. The generals 


32 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


surrounding tlie king began to feel hopeless of suc- 
cess, while in the provinces rebellious rumblings 
sounded more portentous day after day. 

By his constant attendance on the king Zopyrus 
learned the significance of every message that came 
from the provinces. His heart was saddened as he 
saw the power of the king melting before these im- 
pregnable walls. He realized that Darius could not 
continue king unless Babylon was brought into sub- 
jection. 

“ The king was cheered one day by couriers from 
Shushan, who announced the return to health of the 
beloved Queen Atossa, also the strength and spirit 
displayed by the young Prince Xerxes, who would 
soon be five years of age, old enough to leave the 
courts of the women to enter upon the more vigorous 
training to which all the noble boys were subjected. 

“ Hearing this, smiles beamed upon the face of Meg- 
abyzus. The king noticed his pleasure in the news, 
and said to him, ‘ Boy, thou shalt return with the 
couriers and spend a month with Xerxes, and teach 
him some of the tricks of which thou art master ; and 
thou wilt see thy mother likewise, for thou hast been 
a brave lad to endure camp-life so long without com- 
plaining.’ 

“With haste the lad prepared to depart. When all 
was ready and the couriers were mounted on their 
swift steeds Zopyrus lovingly clasped his son to his 
breast and bade him farewell. The king, with gra- 


THE FALL OF BABYLON. 


33 


clous fondness, likewise bade liim farewell, and coin- 
missioned him, as a messenger of love, to bear to his 
beloved Atossa such gifts as only a mighty monarch 
could, send; and the entire court, having learned of 
the honors bestowed upon him, gathered about him 
and cheered him as he departed. 

“The king had withdrawn into his tent and was 
deeply pondering how to attack the city when the 
curtained door was drawn aside and some one unan- 
nounced stood in his presence. For a few moments 
he paid no attention to the intruder, but groaned in 
anguish as he saw no way of overcoming the walls. 
A noise by the intruder now aroused him. Quickly 
looking up, he saw a general whose elegant clothing 
was torn and soiled, his tine hair, upon which so 
much care was daily bestowed, roughly cut and 
disheveled ; his body, through the torn garments, 
showed the dreadful lacerations of the scourge, and 
his face horribly mutilated by having the nose and 
ears cut off. 

“ Darius was filled with indignation as he saw that 
this wretched creature was his favorite, the elegant 
and accomplished Zopyrus. The king demanded 
the name of the perpetrator of this outrage, that he 
might inflict upon him the tortures of a king’s venge- 
ance. But Zopyrus replied, ‘ O king, there is no 
man except yourself who could have power to 
treat me thus; no stranger has done this, O king 
but I have done it to myself, deeming it a great 
3 


34 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

indignity that the Assyrians should deride the Per- 
sians ! ’ * 

“Darius listened in astonishment, and replied: 
‘ Most wretched of men, you liave given the fairest 
name to the foulest deed in saying that you have 
injured yourself thus incurably on account of tliose 
who are besieged. How, foolish man, because you are 
mutilated will the enemy sooner submit ? Have you 
lost your senses, that you have thus ruined yourself ? ’ 

“But Zopyrus, sure of the j^atriotism of his deed, 
said : Hf I had communicated to you what I was 
about to do you would not have permitted me ; but 
now, having deliberated with myself, I have done it. 
How, therefore, if you are not wanting to your own 
interests we shall take Babylon ; for I, as I am, will 
desert to the city, and will tell them that I have been 
thus treated by you ; and I think that when I have 
persuaded them that such is the case I shall obtain the 
command of their army. Do you then, on the tenth 
day after I shall have entered the city, of that part of 
your army whose loss you would least regret, station 
a thousand men over against the gates called after 
Semiramis ; again, on the seventh day after the tenth, 
station two thousand more against the gate called from 
Hineveh ; and from the seventh day let an interval of 
twenty days elapse, and then place four thousand 
more against the gate called from the Chaldeans : but 
let neither the first nor these carry any defensive arms 
* Herodotus, book iii, ch. 155. 


THE FALL OF BABYLON. 


35 


except swords, but let them have those. After the 
twentieth day straightway command tlie rest of 
the army to invest the wall on all sides, but sta- 
tion the Persians for use at those called the Belid- 
ian and Cissian gates; for as I think, when I have 
performed great exploits, the Babylonians will intrust 
every thing to me, and, moreover, the keys of the 
gates, and then it will be mine and the Persians' care 
to do what remains to be done.’ 

“ Darius listened in amazement to this plan, and tak- 
ing the hand of Zopyrus within his own pressed it to 
his heart, but he was so moved that he could not utter 
a word. Leaving his king in his overwhelming emo- 
tion, Zopyrus uttered a cry and rushed from the tent, 
fleeing toward the nearest gate of the city. The 
watchmen on the tower saw him, and going down to 
the gate opened the little gate in the larger one, and, 
admitting him, led him at once into the presence of 
the pretender and his court. 

‘‘ Here he declared his name and that he had been 
thus treated because he had said the Persians could 
not take the city. He also said, ‘ How, therefore, I 
come to you, O Babylonians, the greatest blessing, and 
to Darius, his army, and the Persians the greatest 
mischief ; for he shall not escape with impunity, hav- 
ing thus mutilated me ; and I am acquainted with all 
his designs.’ * 

“ The Babylonians had known him well, and they 
* Herodotus, book iii, oh. 15L 


36 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

believed all he said, and as he asked com mauds gave 
them to him. As he had planned with Darius so it 
came to pass, until the Babylonians looked upon him 
as the savior of their city and gave him the supreme 
command, and made him guardian of the walls. 

“ Then came the final act. Darius assaulted the walls 
on every side, while Zopyrus, opening the Belidian and 
Sissian gates, allowed the Persians to press into the 
city. The Babylonians too late discovered the treach- 
ery, and those who were not slain at their posts fled 
to the temple of their god Bel, and these, hopeless of 
succor, surrendered to Darius. 

To punish their rebellion Darius commanded the 
demolition of their walls, that the city might never 
again be a menace to the^Persian king; he also se- 
lected three thousand of the principal nobles of the 
city, and in a public place where they could be seen 
by all the people impaled them. 

“ The Jews, who had fled to Casiphia, in counting 
the years of their sufferings, learned that from the day 
in which Jerusalem was destroyed by the great Nebu- 
chadnezzar to the day when Babylon fell under the false 
Nebuchadnezzar it was just seventy years.” * 

As Atarah paused Nehemiah said : ‘‘Now it is my 
turn to entertain you, and as I have often heard the 
records read of the reign of Darius I will now tell 
you about it, at least so far as it concerns the course 
of history needful to be known by you.” 

^Prideaux, vol. i, p. 180. 


THE REIGN OF DARIUS. 


37 


CIIAPTEE lY. 


THE REIGN OP DARIUS. 


AYING Bab 3 "lon beweatli his feet, Darius felt 



1 1 assured of his ability to restore allegiance in all 
other parts of his kingdom. He knew that the exe- 
cution of the flower of the disaffected nobility would 
deter all other nobles from risking a contest with him. 
lie tempered justice with mercy by forgiving the 
people of Babylon and commanding them to resume 
their commerce with open gates. To remedy the 
dearth of females he commanded the neighboring 
provinces to bring their daughters to Babylon until 
the number thus brought amounted to fifty thousand. 
These, becoming the wives of the Babylonians, made 
the city to be more cosmopolitan than ever before.'^ 
To Zopyrus the king expressed unbounded grati- 
tude. He praised him more than all others wdio served 
him, and placed his name in the roll of honor next to 
that of the immortal Cyrus, and every year bestowed 
upon him magnificent gifts. He also made him 
governor of Babylon for life, with entire freedom 
from taxes. Thus favored, Zopyrus’s wealth and mag- 
nificence became almost equal to the king’s. 

“Megabyzus, bearing messages of love and congrat- 


Herodotus. 


38 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

Illations from the queen, returned to Babylon in time to 
appear in the grand triumphal parade. As the king 
rode through the city with his nobles, escorted by the 
Persian cavalry, all brilliantly accoutered, Zopyrus 
and Megabyzus rode by his side. The music of the 
bands was almost drowned by the shoutings of the mul- 
titudes, who, reclaimed tp loyalty, were glad thus to 
welcome their king. 

‘‘From this time for several years Darius went for- 
ward in a succession of decisive victories. In these 
wars he trained under his personal supervision a host 
of generals upon whose unswerving fidelity he could 
always rel3\ It was his policy to retain in his camp 
and at his court the sons of his principal nobles, 
training them for the future glory of Persia. Of 
these Megabyzus stood next to his own sons in 
honor and advancement. Tliis training developed 
very early in life the faculties of a general, and as 
the king observed the growing powers of the young 
nobles he gave tliern commands suitable to their am- 
bition and judgment. 

“ When Darius, in order to show his people that the 
great Scythian hordes dwelling like a threatening host 
in the unknown depths of country north of the king- 
dom were not invincible, marched his army into their 
territories, spending months there, and returning in 
triumph, Megabyzus was ever by his side ; and when 
Darius returned to his kingdom he left Megabyzus in 
Europe in command of eighty thousand veteran war- 


THE REIGN OF DARIUS. 


39 


riors, to carry tlie glory of tlie Persian name to tlie 
borders of the Greek nations in the south. With the 
energy of youth Megabyzus overran and subjugated 
the entire tract between the river Strymon and the 
Propontis, winning victories over Greeks, Thracians, 
and many other nations. From Macedonia lie re- 
ceived the tribute of earth and water, and when he 
returned transported as a present to his monarch the 
entire nation of the Pseonians. 

“ For a year he remained in Sardis with Darius, then 
the army was placed under the command of another, 
and he returned with the king to Persia, to build 
palaces and attend to the internal affairs of the king- 
dom. For many years the peaceful state of the king- 
dom enabled Darius to establish laws for the develop- 
ment of the resources of the provinces, but at length 
the war-trumpet was again blown. 

“ Aristagoras, whom he left governor of the flour- 
ishing city of Miletus, became restless and endeav- 
ored to unite the Greeks in rebellion. He succeeded 
in gathering an army and navy, then attacked and 
burned the city of Sardis. But his army was de- 
feated and his allies withdrew to their cities. The 
burning of Sardis, the principal city of western Asia, 
and the residence of the Persian satrap, encouraged 
revolt in the neighboring nations. 

‘‘With characteristic energy Darius collected his 
army, concentrated his forces against Miletus, de- 
feated the armies and fleets of the allies, ravaged the 


40 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

entire Ionian coast, and carried into Persia the youtlis 
of both sexes found in the Ionian cities. The lonians 
were renowned for their beauty and were greatly 
valued by Persian noblemen. 

“ Darius then directed his rage against the cities 
that had aided the rebels. At the head of these 
stood Athens. As Darius at this time was unable to 
punish her he appointed an officer of his household 
to daily bid him ‘ remember Atliens.’ lie sent a 
large army and navy against the Greek states under 
the command of Mardonius, who was both brother- 
in-law and son-in-law. But storms, sea-monsters, and 
a night attack by Thracians destroyed this splendid 
armament, and Mardonius, severely wounded, was 
compelled to return to Asia. 

“ Two yeai's later Darius sent another expedition 
under the command of Datis, which was met by 
twenty thousand Greeks under the command of Mil- 
tiades. These Athenians showed so much skill and 
valor that in the battle of Marathon they vanquished 
the Persian army, though five times as numerous as 
their own. 

“ These defeats aroused the ire of the Persian king, 
and for three years he made preparations to over- 
whelm Athens by an army wdiich he would lead in 
person. Encouraged by the victories of the Greeks, 
the Egyptians had revolted, and the king decided to 
move against both nations at the same time. 

“ It was customary for the Persian king to appoint 


THE REIGN OF DARIUS. 


41 


lus successor when going to war, so that if he should 
fall the kingdom would not be without a head. 
This now became the duty of the king. There 
were two who claimed the right to this appointment. 
These were his sons Ariobarzanes and Xerxes. Their 
rivalry was peaceful, and no one in the kingdom 
would be more loyal to the selected ruler than the re- 
jected claimant. Peace and affection ruled in the 
household of Darius. 

“ When a youth Darius had married the daughter of 
Gobryas, who afterward was one of the conspirators. 
Ariobarzanes was the eldest son by this marriage, and 
he claimed the right to succeed because he was the 
eldest son. AYhen Darius became king he married 
Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus the great king, and 
Xerxes was the ehlest son of this marriage. At the 
time Darius was to make his choice there was dwell- 
ing in Susa, as one of the almoners of the king, 
Demaratus, the exiled king of Sparta, a man who by 
reason of his excellent judgment and experience had 
great influence with Darius. Xerxes appealed to 
him for counsel as to the manner in which he should 
plead his cause. He prompted Xerxes to claim the 
right to succeed because he was not only the grand- 
son of Cyrus, and thus the true heir to the throne, 
but also the eldest son of Darius the king. Ario- 
barzancs was, indeed, the eldest son of Darius the 
noble, and was entitled to inherit the estate of Darius 
the noble, but he, Xerxes, was not the son of Darius 


42 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

the noble, but tlie eldest son of Darius the king; there- 
fore in two respects he was the rightful successor. 
This reasoning was supported by the affectionate 
pleadings of Atossa, and the king appointed Xerxes 
to succeed him. 

“The eagerness of the king to avenge Persian honor 
and the continued excitement of tlie preparations for 
war gradually undermined his strength, and when 
the army was ready to move the liealth of the king 
was in such a state as to require his immediate with- 
drawal to his splendid residence in Persepolis. 

“This was the paradise of the kingdom. Here the 
fruits were ripe the soonest, the flowers bore the 
richest odors, the rose-bushes grew to the height and 
thickness of trees, hundreds of varieties of flowers 
graced the fields and gardens, and the sweetest-voiced 
songsters warbled their melodies all the day long. A 
lofty mountain range extended toward the north, 
while in the south-east lay the lake Xeyriz, from 
which the finest salt in the wmrld was obtained. Sick- 
ness seldom entered this paradise, and nowhere in 
the world could the king have better aid from nature 
to assist him in recovering his health. 

“From the most ancient times the excellence of 
this valley had been appreciated by royal families, and 
in its northern expanse the kings had built their pal- 
aces, Here was an immense platform which rose to a 
height of fifty feet above the plain. Part of it Wtas 
hewn out of the mountain, while the outer edges were 


THE REIGN OF DARIUS. 


43 


built up with blocks of gray marble ; these blocks were 
of immense size and so closely fitted together as to 
almost defy finding the joints. The platform was 
about fourteen hundred feet long by nine hundred 
feet broad. Its faces fronted the four quarters of the 
heavens. Upon this platform were the palaces of Cy- 
rus and Carabyses, and here Darius built a palace for 
himself and an adjoining one for his beloved queens 
and their households.* 

“ The king’s palace was a model for beauty and 
richness. Located on the highest part of the terraces 
above the platform, it afforded from its porticoes an 
unobstructed view of the entire yalley with its fields 
of grain, gardens of fiowers, groves of roses, lawns, 
and silvery lake. The building faced toward the lake 
in the south, and it measured s- huudred and thirty- 
five feet in length by nearly a hundred feet in width. 
In the front the palace was approached by a double 
staircase with steps only four inches high and more 
tlian twenty feet in width. Along the sides of the steps 
were spandrels, upon which were sculptured repre- 
sentations of the various nations bringing tribute to 
the king, lions and bulls in combat, and the famous 
guardsmen of the throne. At the top of the staircase 
was a deep portico with eight pillars arranged in two 
rows, on each side of whicli were guard-rooms. Be- 
hind the portico was the main room of the palace, and 
in this the king spent his declining days. This room 
* Ten Great Religions, by J. Freeman Clarke, p. 171, etc. 


44 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

was fifty feet square. Tlie roof was supported by 
sixteen pillars arranged in four rows in line with the 
pillars of the portico. These pillars were light and 
slender, and were covered with gold and silver. Great 
beams similarly covered extended from pillar to pil- 
lar, forming a ceiling of squares, and these were 
handsomely decorated in handsome colors. The fioor 
of the palace was made of various colored squares of 
marble, upon which, in many places, rugs of softest 
texture were laid. Here, too, were couches of the 
most tempting luxuriance, cushions as soft as eider- 
down upon a frame-work of solid silver. The door- 
ways and windows were hung with elaborately em- 
broidered curtains, and curtains of blue, purple, and 
scarlet also extended from pillar to pillar, so that the 
utmost secrecy could be obtained or the lightest 
breath of an adverse wind be prevented from fanning 
the face of the king. 

“ By the side of the king’s couch stood a noble whose 
duty it was to prevent a fiy or any other insect from 
touching his majesty, and near him was another noble 
bearing a fan of the most beautiful plumes, with 
which he regulated the air to suit the king. The 
guard-rooms were constantly filled with anxious nobles, 
who were in the highest honor as guardians of the 
king’s person. Through doors communicating with 
the queen’s palace, the ladies of the king’s household 
came to cheer his weary mind.* 

* Rawlinson, vol. ii, p. 388, etc. 


THE REIGN OF DARIUS. 


45 


“ But all was of no avail. Neither the love of his 
queens, the obedience of his children, the skill of his 
ph^^sicians, nor the watch-care of his guards could 
keep death from entering, and while his couch was 
surrounded by loved ones and nobles he quietlj" sunk 
into the sleep that on this earth, to king and slave 
alike, knows no waking. 

“ Many years before his death Darius had prepared 
his tomb in the face of the rock-front of the mount- 
ain situated in the rear of his palace. The tomb was 
at a great height above the plain, and was decorated 
with symbolical sculptured forms. One of the figures 
represented the king standing before an altar on 
which a fire was burning. A ball representing tlie 
sun was above the altar, and over the king, in the air, 
hung a winged half-length figure in fainter lines, but 
distinct enough to resemble him. In another place 
he was represented as contending with a winged ani- 
mal like a griffin. This was a declaration of his Zoro- 
astrian belief, signifying, ‘ The king, as servant of 
Ormuzd, is worshiping the fire and the sun-syrnbols of 
the god ; he resists the impure griffin, the creature of 
Ahriman ; and tlie half-length figure over his head 
is the Travish, or the ideal essence of his existence, 
first created by the thought of Ormuzd.’ 

“The king’s funeral was of the most imposing char- 
acter. Ilis sons, nobles, and soldiers, and distinguished 
almoners from various parts of the world, testified to 
the excellence of his reign. The priests offered elab- 


46 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

orate sacrifices, and while the fragrance of incense 
filled the air and the smoke of the offerings ascended 
above the mountain-top he was laid in his tomb. ■* 
The new king and his court spent many days in 
retirement and monfning, and then, having faithfully 
honored his memory and the customs of their religion, 
returned to Shushan to attend to the affairs of the 
kingdom.” 

By this time ISTehemiah’s spirits seemed to be 
aroused. His memory was crowded by recollections, 
and as all were eager to learn more he proceeded to 
tell of the exciting events in the beginning of the 
reign of the magnificent Xerxes. 


SHALL WAR BE DECLARED? 


47 


CHAPTER Y. 


SHALL WAR BE DECLARED? 


HUSHAH, the hill crowned with the royal pal- 



aces, was the city of Susa. In one of these 
palaces Xerxes, the new king, held his first reception, 
in which he received the formal oaths of fealty from 
the satraps, governors, and generals of the provinces 
of the kingdom. lie received as a legacy a united 
kingdom, immense store-houses filled with provisions 
for a long war, an enthusiastic army, a loyal body of 
uncles, brothers, cousins, kinsmen, and nobles, a gov- 
ernment well established and a council of experienced 
advisers. Many of the nobles had been his compan- 
ions from early childhood in the court, the camp, and 
the chase, and were ready to give him the same un- 
questioning obedience which they had given his father. 

“Xever did a monarch assume the scepter under 
more favorable circumstances than did Xerxes, the 
son of Darius. To impress the people with the vigor 
of his spirit he at once proceeded to punish the 
Egyptians for their rebellion. Egypt had been merci- 
lessly trampled under foot by the mad Cambyses. 
She was proud of her antiquity, hopeful because of 
the fertility of her soil and the unfailing gifts of her 
river, and enthusiastic in her religious beliefs. Her 


48 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

pyramids, obelisks, and temples constantly presented 
to lier the fact of her former greatness. Hence she 
writhed in agony beneath the tread of the Pei’sians, 
and was ever alert for rebellion. As she saw the 
growing power of the restless Greeks beyond the sea 
she discerned an ally to help her regain her freedom, 
and she rebelled. When the news reached Susa the 
Persian monarch gave command to immediately re- 
duce her to subjection. 

“ The royal guards, commanded by Xerxes, passed 
rapidly from Siisa to Babylon along the king’s broad 
highway. At Babylon the army fell into line and 
marched forward, being increased at every station on 
the route by additional contingents from Assyria, 
Chaldea, Media, Armenia, Samaria, Judea, and the- 
cities along the coast. They marched rapidly from 
Babylon to Carchemish, thence to Thapsacus, Hamath, 
Damascus, Samaria, Gaza, then across the intervening 
sands to the fertile plains before the splendid city of 
Zoan. They were now on Egyptian territory. This 
was the place memorable as the land of Goshen, from- 
which, nearly a thousand years before our people, the 
tribes of Israel had wuthdrawn. 

As the Persians marched onward they annihilated 
the forces sent to oppose them. They pitched their 
tents in the shadows of the pyramids, shouted as they 
passed the obelisks, covered the Xile with boats, 
offered sacrifices at the doors of Karnak, and swept the 
armies of Egypt from the soil. 


SHALL WAR BE DECLARED? 


49 


“ A large army was left to garrison the citadel at 
Memphis, and smaller garrisons were placed through- 
out the land. The governorship was given to Achsern- 
enes, the brother of Xerxes, and he was commanded 
to keep his province in harmony with the other prov- 
inces of the vast kingdom. The tribute Darius had 
exacted of them was re-affirmed. This comprised the 
entire revenues from the fish trade of Lake Moeris, 
a hundred and twenty thousand measures of wheat 
for the support of the Persians occupying the White 
Fortress at Memphis, and seven hundred talents for 
the king’s treasury. In addition to tins a war indem- 
nity was imposed as a punishment for their rebellion. 
Tlien Xerxes returned to Susa. 

I will ask Atarah to tell of that return march, for 
he was then serving in the suite of Megabyzus.” 

Atarah at once continued the narrative, saying : 
Xerxes began his triumphal return with hundreds 
of noble hostages and immense stores of wealth from 
the sacked cities. He hastened on fleet horses from 
one city to another with a display of luxury such as 
had never been seen in that land. As he passed 
deputies from every city and tribe met him with 
tribute, and all of them praying him to accept from 
their hands a little of the earth and water of their 
lands, for this was the usual token of subjection. 

‘‘ I was in close attendance on my master, Megaby- 
zus, whose S]3lendor was almost equal to that of the 
king’s. He was the king’s favorite, and shared with 
4 


50 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

liiin in all the plans for the advantage of the king- 
dom. As he passed through the various countries on 
their line of travel he took particular notice of the 
salient features from a military point of view. lie 
observed that the sandy deserts formed the outposts 
of the freedom-loving Arabians. Then his attention 
was particularly given to the land of our people. lie 
saw how the high mountain wall was our defense on 
the west. He was very curious to* know the exact 
location of our city, Jerusalem, and the condition of 
its walls, as also the strength of the temple. I could 
see from the brightness of his countenance that he 
was laying the foundation in his mind for future 
military operations involving our land and people. 
When they had passed the wall of hills they entered 
the broken countr}" and were soon in Samaria, where 
many Persian officers of high rank dwelt in a splendor 
imitating that of the court of their king. 

The royal party tarried here but a short time, and 
pressed on to Damascus, the rival of Samaria, the city 
which claimed to be the pearl of the desert, which 
appeared the more beautiful because it stood on 
the edge of the desert, and its beautiful green garden 
and odorous groves and sparkling lakes were in 
direct contrast with the hot white sands of the desert. 
It equaled Samaria in its importunities for royal 
favors, if not in the luxury of its homes. 

“ Megabyzus saw that the Persian control of Egypt 
depended largely upon the loyalty of these inter- 


SHALL WAR BE DECLARED ? 


51 


mediate nations, and that of them all the favor of 
our people, the Jews, was essential because we were 
firmly intrenched at the gates of the intervening 
deserts. 

“Now I will rest a while and Nehemiah will re- 
sume the story as he has learned it from the court 
records.” 

Without hesitating Nehemiah continued: 

“Xerxes’s return to Susa was followed by a series 
of festivities in honor of the success obtained. At the 
feasts the whole story of the march w'as recounted. 
Whenever reference was made to the Greeks as the 
allies of the Egyptians the Persians shouted denun- 
ciatory expressions and called loudly for the king to 
declare war against them. They reminded him that 
it had been the determined purpose of Darius to over- 
throw them, but since death had prevented his doing 
so his purpose was a part of the legacy left for his suc- 
cessor. . Xerxes was greatly affected by the spon- 
taneous enthusiasm of his ofiicers, but he hesitated. 

“ There was something mysterious about these 
western islanders who had so easily overthrown the 
chivalry of Persia, although they were led by the 
brave and skillful generals Mardonius and Datis. 

“ Xerxes seemed to be a man of profound thought. 
He grasped the situation with more reflection than 
many of his advisers. He realized that the occasion 
was a great one. In fact, it was the battle of two 
diverse types of civilization. The Persians represented 


52 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

the centralization of power in one man, the king ; 
the Greeks represented the individual equal civil 
rights of every man. Liberty equality and progress 
became their watch-words. The real question at issue 
was whether the progress of humanity should be set 
back or moved forward. Infinite resources at the 
command of the Persian king offered to block the 
world’s progress. We cannot wonder that, moved by 
some subtle influence, Xerxes hesitated. 

‘‘ Principal among the many counselors who 
brought influences to bear upon the king to lead him 
into this war was his uncle, Mardonius, who had been 
so badly beaten by the Greeks and was eager to re- 
trieve his lost reputation as a general. 

“ There were also Arman ithres and Tithseus, the 
sons of Datis, who burned with zeal to wipe out the 
shame of their father’s defeat at Marathon. The 
sons of the soldiers who had fallen in Greece called 
loudly for vengeance upon the destroyers of their 
fathers, while the soldiers just returned from Egypt, 
flushed with victory and crowned with Avell-won hon- 
ors, clamored to be led to other battle-fields, where 
they might win greater honors. 

“ Some urged the king to enter into an alliance with 
the Carthaginians to overwhelm the Greeks in the far 
west, while the Persians mastered them in the east, 
and thus stop forever the troublesome conspiracies and 
rebellions by which they were disturbing the peace of 
the older nations. 


SHALL WAR BE DECLARED? 


53 


“ There dwelt at the king’s court in Susa many 
notable persons who were exiles from their own king- 
doms, of whom were several Greeks. Some of these 
had great influence with the king and were frequently 
consulted in regard to tlieir own people. The most 
notable of these at this time was Demaratus of Sparta, 
wflio always spoke well of his people even to the Per- 
sians who derided them. 

‘‘ His history was pathetic. Ariston, the father of 
Demaratus, was esteemed the noblest of the kings 
of Sparta. His wnfe was conceded tlie most beautiful 
W'oman in Sparta. Demaratus inherited the wisdom 
of his father and the beauty of his mother. Upon his 
father’s death he became the king of Sparta. He 
had the distinction of being the only Spartan king 
who obtained honor in the Olympian games. He 
won the four-horse chariot race. Some of the no- 
bles of his court, jealous of his success, spread re- 
ports affecting the legitimacy of his birth, and by 
bribes persuaded the Pythian oracle to give color to 
their representations. By this means they aroused 
the prejudices of the Spartans and drove Demaratus 
from the throne. He escaped the snares by which 
they sought to put him to death, and, coming to 
Darius, was favorably received and given both lands 
and cities for his support. He was also established 
in the court of the king as a personal friend and 
counselor. He did not attempt to deceive the king 
as to the difficulties of a war with his people, but in 


54 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

most glowing terms spoke of the courage and en- 
durance of the Spartans. 

“ There were also the Aleuadie, kings of Thessaly, 
who had been loyal to Darius when he invaded 
Europe — old friends of JVIegabyzns — wdio came to tlie 
Persian king to invite him to invade Greece. With 
these came the Pisistratidae, who for thirty-six years 
had ruled Athens, and were called tyrants. They 
came to obtain revenge for Cleomenes, the king of 
Sparta, who had driven Demaratus from his throne, 
drove the Pisistratidae out of Athens, and defeated the 
Aleuadae who came to their assistance. Companions 
now in exile they urged the king to the w^ar. 

‘‘They also had with them a Greek soothsayer 
named Onornacritus, who had been dispenser of the 
oracles of Musaeus when the Pisistratidae ruled in 
Athens, but they had driven him out of Athens be- 
cause he was a wily and treacherous liar, and for the 
sake of personal gain had perverted the oracles. 
Now, however, they joined hands with him, and 
by his arts tried to influence Xerxes to begin the 
war. 

“ The influences surrounding the king were well 
calculated to stimulate his ardor for this war. Why 
should he allow these few small cities of Europe to 
defy him when all the nations of antiquity, mighty 
Babylon and wealthy Egypt, and the most notable 
generals of wdiom he had ever heard, confessed his 
sway? From the portico of his palace he could see 


SHALL WAR BE DECLARED ? 


55 


encamped liis magnificent army, the glory of Persia, 
the invincible host; and these, from tlie superior gen- 
erals to the most common soldiers, were clamoring for 
the war. 

At length he sent for the seven counselors of the 
throne, Carshena, Shethar, Admatha or Artabanus, 
Tarshish, Meres, Marsena or Mardonius, and Memu- 
can, the seven princes of Persia and Media, and thus 
addressed them : * 

“ ‘ Men of Persia, I shall not be the first to introduce 
this custom among you, but shall adopt it, having re- 
ceived it from my forefathers ; for, as I learn from 
older men, we have never remained inactive since we 
wrested the sovereign power from the Medes and 
Cyrus overthrew Astyages ; but the deity thus leads 
the way, and to us who follow his guidance many 
things result to our advantage. What deeds Cyrus 
and Cambyses and my father Darius have achieved, 
and what nations they have added to our empire, no 
one need mention to you, who know them well ; but I, 
since I have succeeded to the throne, have carefully 
considered this, in what way I may not fall short of 
my predecessors in this honor nor acquire less addi- 
tional power to the Persians. And, on mature con- 
sideration, I find that we may at once acquire an 
increase of glory and a country not inferior nor 
poorer, but even more productive, than that we now 
possess, and, at the same time, that satisfaction and 

* Lange on Esther, p. 35. ' 


56 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

vengeance will accrue to us. Wherefore, I have now 
called you together that I may communicate to you 
what I propose to do. 

‘ I intend to throw a bridge over the Hellespont and 
to march an army through Europe against Greece, 
that I may punish the Athenians for the injuries 
they have done to the Persians and to my father. 
You have already seen Darius preparing to make 
war against those people, but he died, and had it not 
in his power to avenge himself. But I, in his cause 
and that of the other Persians, will not rest till I 
have taken and burned Athens, for they first began 
by doing acts of injustice against my father and me. 
First of all, having come to Sardis with Aristagoras 
the Milesian, our servant, on their arrival they burned 
down both the groves and the temples ; and, sec- 
ondly, how they treated us on o.ur making a descent 
on their territory when Datis and Artaphernes led 
our forces, you all know well enough. For these rea- 
sons, therefore, I find the following advantages in 
this course : if we shall subdue them, and their neigh- 
bors, who inhabit the country of Pelops the Phryg- 
ian, we shall make the Persian territory co-extensive 
with the air of heaven ; nor will the sun look down 
upon any land that borders on our own ; but I, with 
your assistance, will make them all one territory, 
marching through the whole of Europe ; for I am in- 
formed that such is the case ; and that no city or na- 
tion of the world will remain which will be able to 


SHALL WAR BE DECLARED ? 


57 


come to a battle with us when those whom I have 
mentioned have been brought into subjection. 

“ ‘ Thus both those who are guilty and those who are 
not guilty must equally submit to the yoke of servi- 
tude. But you, by doing what I require, will gratify 
me exceedingly. When I shall have informed you of 
the time it will be the duty of each of you to come 
promptly ; and whosoever sluill appear with the best 
appointed troops, to him I will give such presents as 
are accounted most honorable in our country. But 
that I may not appear to follow my own counsel only 
I lay the matter before you, bidding any of you who 
wishes to declare his opinion.’ * 

“ The council was then dismissed to assemble on 
the morrow to discuss the address of the king.” 


* Herodotus, vii, 8, etc. 


58 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CHAPTER YI. 


DREAMS DECIDE THE ISSUE. 

HE custom in tlie Persian court was to dis- 



X cuss all important matters first under tlie in- 
fluence of wine, and afterward, when free from wine, 
to review their judgment and adopt what then seemed 
most reasonable. 

The banquet of wine was now entered upon. The 
king and his counselors reclining on silver couches 
and served by handsomely dressed eunuchs began the 
discussion.* 

Mardonius, the husband of Artazostra, sister to 
Xerxes, also being Xerxes’s uncle, and the most ear- 
nest advocate of the war, after draining a cup of the 
choicest wine, said : ‘ Sir, not only are you the most 
excellent of all the Persians that have yet "been, but 
even of all that ever shall be ; you also, in other 
respects, have in speaking touched upon the most im- 
portant top)ics and the most exact truth, and espe- 
cially will not suffer the lonians, who dwell in Europe, 
to mock us, worthless as they are ; for it would, in- 
deed, be a great indignity if, having subdued the 

* This council is recorded by Herodotus. The addresses are so 
full of wisdom and give so different a coloring to the deliberations of 
the Persians from a mere statement of the conclusions that I have 
been led to give it in full. It is a truly valuable historical document. 


DREAMS DECIDE THE ISSUE. 


59 


Sacae, Indians, Ethiopians, and Assyrians, and other 
nations, many and powerful, which never did the 
Persians any wrong, but, in order only to enlarge our 
dominions, we hold them in servitude, and yet shall 
not avenge ourselves on the Greeks, w^ho were the 
first to commit injustice. Having what to fear? 
what confiuence of numbers? wliat power of wealth? 
We are acquainted with their manner of fighting, 
and we are acquainted with their power, that it is 
weak. We hold their children in subjection, those 
who dwell within their territories, and are called 
lonians, .^Eolians, and Dorians. I myself have made 
trial of these men already, marching against them at 
the command of your father; and when I advanced 
as far as Macedonia, and was within a short distance 
of reaching Athens itself, no one opposed me in bat- 
tle. And yet the Greeks are accustomed, as I am 
informed, to undertake wars without deliberation 
from obstinacy and folly ; for when they have de- 
clared war against one another, having found out the 
fairest and most level spot, they go down to it and 
fight ; so that the conquerors depart with great loss, 
and of the conquered I say nothing at all, for they 
are utterly destroyed ; whereas, being of the same 
language, they ought, by the intervention of heralds 
and embassadors, to adjust their differences, and in 
any way rather than by fighting ; but if they must 
needs go to war with each other they ought to find 
out where they are each least likely to be conquered. 


60 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

and there try the issue of a battle. Tlie Greeks, ac- 
cordingly, adopting a disadvantageous method, when 
I marched as far as Macedonia, never ventured so far 
as to come to a battle. Will any one, then, O king, 
have recourse to war and oppose jmu, when you lead 
the multitudes of Asia and all her ships? In my 
opinion, indeed, the Grecians will never proceed to 
such a degree of audacity. But if I should happen 
to be deceived in my opinion, and they, elated by 
folly, should come to battle with us, they will learn 
that of all men we are the most skilled in war. Let 
nothing, then, be untried ; for nothing is accom- 
plished of its own self, but all things are usually 
achieved by men through endeavors.’ 

“ As Mardonius ceased a murmur of applause gave 
the approval of the nobles to the sentiments he had 
so vigorously uttered. Some, indeed, did not agree 
with him, but they were loath to dissent from the 
expressed will of the king and his powerful uncle. 

“ At length Artabanus, the brother of Darius and 
uncle to Xerxes, arose and said : ‘ O king, unless 
opinions opposite to each other are spoken, it is im- 
possible to choose the better, but it becomes neces- 
sary to adopt that which has been advanced ; whereas, 
when various opinions have been given it is possible ; 
just as with unalloyed gold we cannot distinguish it 
by itself, but when we have rubbed it by the side of 
other gold we do distinguish the better. I warned 
your father and my brother not to make war upon 


DREAMS DECIDE THE ISSUE. 


61 


the Scythians, a people who have no city in any part 
of their territory ; but he, hoping to subdue the 
Scythian nomads, heeded not my advice, and, hav- 
ing led an army against them, returned with the loss 
of many brave men of his army. But you, O king, 
are about to make war upon men far superior to the 
Scythians, who are said to be most valiant both by 
sea and land ; it is therefore right that I should inform 
you of the danger we liave to fear. 

“‘You say that, having thrown a bridge over the 
Hellespont, you will march an army through Europe 
into Greece. Now it may happen that we shall be 
worsted either by land or by sea, or even by both, for 
the people are said to be valiant ; and this we may 
infer, since the Athenians alone repulsed so great an 
army that invaded the Attic territory under Datis 
and Artaphernes. They were not, however, success- 
ful in both ; but if they should attack us with their 
fleet, and, having obtained a naval victory, should sail 
to the Hellespont and destroy the bridge, this surelj^, 
O king, were a great danger. Nor do 1 found this 
conjecture on any wisdom of my own, but from the 
calamity that once all but befell us when your father, 
having joined the shores of the Thracian Bosporus, 
and thrown a bridge over the Ister, crossed over to 
attack the Scythians ; then the Scythians used every 
means to induce the lonians, to whom the guard of 
the passage over the Ister had been intrusted, to break 
up the bridge ; and if at that time Histiseus, tyrant 


62 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

of Miletus, had assented to the opinion of the other 
tyrants, and had not opposed it, the power of the 
Persians would liave been utterly ruined. It is dread- 
ful even to hear it said that the whole power of the 
king depended on a single man. Do not, therefore, 
willingly expose yourself to any such danger when 
there is no necessity, but be persuaded by me ; dis- 
miss this assembly ; and hereafter, whenever it shall 
seem fit to you, having considered with yourself, pro- 
claim what appears to you to be most advantageous ; 
for to deliberate well I find is the greatest gain ; for 
if the result prove unfortunate the matter lias never- 
theless been well deliberated on, but our deliberation 
is defeated by fortune; but he who has deliberated 
badly, if fortune attend him, has met with a success 
he had no right to expect, but has nevertheless 
formed bad plans. 

‘ Do you see how the deity strikes with his thun- 
der the tallest animals, and suffers them not to be 
ostentatious, but the smaller ones do not at all offend 
him ? Do you see how he ever hurls his bolts against 
the loftiest buildings, and trees of the like kind? for 
the deity is wont to cut off every thing that is too 
highly exalted. Thus even a large army is often de- 
feated by a small one in such a manner as this, when 
the deity, through jealousy, strikes them with terror 
or lightning, whereby they perish in a manner un- 
worthy of themselves ; for the Deity will not suffer 
any one but himself to have high thoughts. 


DREAMS DECIDE THE ISSUE. 


63 


“ ‘ Again, to hasten any matter produces failures, 
from whence great losses are wont to follow ; but in 
delay there are advantages which, though not imme- 
diately apparent, yet one may discover after a time. 
This, then, O king, is the advice I give you. But do 
you, Mardonius, son of Gobryas, cease to speak vain 
words of the Grecians, who do not deserve to be 
spoken lightly of ; for by calumniating the Greeks 
you urge the king himself to lead an army against 
them ; and to this end you appear to me to exert all 
your efforts. But it may not so be ; for calumny is the 
worst of evils ; in it there are two who commit injus- 
tice and one who is injured ; for he who calumniates 
another acts unjustly by accusing one that is not 
present ; and he acts unjustly who is persuaded before 
he has learned the exact truth ; and he that is absent 
when the charge is made is thus doubly injured, be- 
ing calumniated by the one, and by the other deemed 
to be base. 

^ But if, at all events, it must needs be that war 
must be made on these people, come, let the king 
himself remain in the abodes of the Persians; let 
both of us risk our children, and do you lead the ex- 
pedition, having selected what men you choose and 
taken with you as large a force as you think fit ; and 
if matters succeed to the king in the manner you say, 
let my children be put to death, and me also with 
them ; but if the event prove such as I foretell, tlien 
let your children suffer the same, and you also with 


64 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

them, if you ever return. If, however, you are 
unwilling to submit to these terms, and will at all 
events lead an army against Greece, I affirm that 
some of those who are left in tliis country will hear 
that Mardonius having brought some great disaster 
upon the Persians, and being torn in pieces by dogs 
and birds, either in the territory of the Athenians or 
in that of the Lacedaemonians, if not sooner on his 
march, has discovered against what sort of men you 
now persuade the king to make war.’ 

“ W^hile Artabanus was thus speaking in vindication 
of the courage of the Greeks, Xerxes became so un- 
easy that his anger was manifest to all present. As 
soon as his aged counselor had finished speaking he 
angrily said : ‘ Artabanus, you are my father’s brother : 
this will protect you from receiving the just recom- 
pense of your foolish words. However, I inflict this 
disgrace upon you, base and cowardly as you are, not 
to accompany me in my expedition against Greece, but 
to remain here with the women, and I, without your 
assistance, will accomplish all that I have said ; for I 
should not be sprung from Darius, son of Hystaspes, 
son of Arsarnes, son of Ariaramnes, son of Teispes, son 
of Cyrus, son of Cambyses, son of Achaemenes, if I 
did not avenge myself on the Athenians, knowing full 
w^ell that if wo continue quiet, yet they will not, but 
will even invade our territories, if we may conjecture 
from what has been already done by them, who have 
both burned Sardis and advanced into Asia ; where- 


DREAMS DECIDE THE ISSUE. 


65 


fore it is not possible for either party to retreat, but 
the alternative lies before us, to do or suffer ; so that 
all these dominions must fall under the power of the 
Grecians, or all theirs under that of the Persians, for 
there is no medium in this enmity. It is, therefore, 
honorable for us, who have first suffered, to take re- 
venge, that I may also be informed of the danger to 
which I shall expose myself by marching against those 
men whom Pelops the Phrygian, who was a slave of 
my ancestors, so completely subdued that, even to this 
day, the people themselves and their country are 
called after the name of the conqueror.’ 

“ Xerxes now rose up from his throne and hastily 
dismissed the council without giving Artabanus the 
opportunity to reply or to excuse his rashness in op- 
posing the thought of his king. 

‘‘ With all this anger the king was not able to ignore 
the warning of Artabanus, for he knew him to be a 
counselor of great wisdom. 

‘Gn the night, as he slept, he dreamed that a tall and 
handsome man stood by his side, and said to him, 
‘Do you, then, change your mind, O Persian, and 
resolve not to lead an army against Greece, after hav- 
ing ordered the Persians to assemble their forces? 
You do not well to change your resolution, nor is 
there any man who will agree with you ; therefore 
pursue that course which you resolved upon in the 
day.’ Then the man ascended from the earth and 

flew away. 

5 


6G THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

‘‘ Xerxes, however, paid no attention to this dream, 
but, still considering the subject, changed his mind 
and decided to follow the counsel of Artabanus. 
Early in the morning he sent his servants to call, 
the Persian nobles to his palace, and when they were 
all present said to them : ^ Pardon me, O Persians, 
that I suddenly change my plans, for I have not yet 
attained to the highest perfection of judgment, and 
they who persuade me to this enterprise are never ab- 
sent from me. When, therefore, I heard the opinion 
of Artabanus my youth immediately boiled with rage 
against him, so that I threw out words more unbe- 
coming than I ought to a person of his years ; but 
now, conscious of my error, I will follow his advice: 
since, therefore, I have changed my resolution, and 
determined not to make war against Greece, do you 
remain quiet.’ 

“ It was now quite evident that many of the nobles 
had also been affected by the words of Artabanus, 
for they were not only glad of this decision by the 
king, but expressed their gladness in acts of special 
homage. 

“The following night, as Xerxes slept, the same 
man appeared to him as before, and said to him : 
‘ Son of Darius, you have, then, openly renounced, 
in the presence of the Persians, the intended expedi- 
tion, and make no account of my w’ords, as if you had 
not heard them from any one. Be well assured, 
however, of this, that unless you immediately under- 


DREAMS DECIDE THE ISSUE. 


67 


take this expedition this will be the consequence to 
you : as you have become great and powerful in a 
short time, so you shall become low again in an 
equally short space.’ 

The awful severity with which this was said so 
startled the king that he awoke in terror, and, at once 
leaping from his bed, sent a messenger to call Arta- 
banus. While awaiting his arrival the king paced 
the floor of his room in deep perplexity, trembling 
with the recollection of the dream. 

In a short time Artabanus arrived, when the king, 
ignoring all the customs required to approach royalty, 
took the hands of the counselor between his own and 
said to him : ‘ Artabanus, I, on the moment, was not 
in my senses when I used hasty words to you in re- 
turn for your good advice ; however, after no long 
time I repented and acknowledged that those measures 
which you suggested ought to he adopted by me. I 
am not, however, able to perform them, though de- 
sirous of doing so ; for, after I had altered my resolu- 
tion and acknowledged my error, a dream frequently 
presents itself to me by no means approving of my 
so doing; and it has just now vanished, after threat- 
ening me. If, then, it is a deity who sends this 
dream, and it is his pleasure that an expedition 
against Greece should at all events take place, this 
same dream will also flit before you and give the 
same injunction as to me. This I think will happen, 
if you should take all my apparel, and, having put it 


68 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

on, should afterward sit on iny throne, and then go to 
sleep in my bed.’ 

“ The modesty of Artabaniis, who, with the trae Per- 
sian spirit, looked upon his king as greatly superior to 
any member of his kingdom, forbade his assuming, 
even for a moment, the royal apparel, but his king 
urged him until he consented. While arraying him- 
self he thus spoke to the king : ^ I deem it an equal 
merit, O king, to form good plans, and to be willing 
to yield to one who gives good advice; and though 
both of these qualities attach to yon, the converse of 
wicked men leads you astray ; just as blasts of wind 
falling on the sea, which of all things is the most 
useful to mankind, do not suffer it to follow its proper 
nature. As for me, grief did not so much vex me at 
hearing your reproaches as that when two opinions 
were proposed by the Persians, one tending to increase 
their arrogance, the other to check it, and to show 
how hurtful it is to teach the mind to be constantly 
seeking for more than we already possess; that, when 
these two opinions were proposed, you should choose 
that which is more dangerous both to yourself and 
the Persians. Now, however, after you have changed 
to the better resolution, you say that since you have 
given up the expedition against the Greeks a dream, 
sent by some god, forbids you to abandon the enter- 
prise. But these tilings, my son, are not divine, for 
dreams which wander among men are such as I will 
explain to you, being many years older than you are. 


DREAMS DECIDE THE ISSUE. 


C9 


‘ Those visions of dreams most commonly hover 
around men respecting things whicli one has tliought 
of during the day ; and we, during the preceding days, 
have been very much busied about this expedition. If, 
however, this is not such as I judge, but has some- 
thing divine in it, you have correctly summed up the 
whole in few words ; then let it appear, and give the 
same injunction to me as to you ; and it ought not to 
appear to me any the more for my having your ap- 
parel than my own ; nor the more because I go to 
sleep on your bed than on my own, if, indeed, it will 
appear at all ; for that which has appeared to you in 
your sleep, whatever it be, can never arrive at such a 
degree of simplicity as to suppose that when it sees 
me it is you, conjecturing from your apparel ; but if 
it shall hold me in contempt, and not deign to appear 
to me, whether I be clothed in your robes or in my 
own, and if it shall visit you again, this indeed would 
deserve consideration ; for if it should repeatedly 
visit you I should myself confess it to be divine. If, 
however, you have resolved that so it should be, and 
it is not possible to avert this, but I must needs sleep 
in your bed, well, when this has been done, let it ap- 
pear also to me. But till that time I shall persist in 
iny present opinion.’ 

jirtabanus now obeyed the orders of the king. He 
clothed himself in the king’s royal robes and sat upon 
the throne in the splendid throne-room, then came to 
the king’s bed, and, putting off the garments suit- 


VO THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

able to the throne, was clothed in the king’s night- 
robes, put in bed in the king’s place, and with his 
head npon the king’s pillow went to sleep, the king 
sitting by his side as a watch-guard over his safety. 

“No sooner had deep sleep come npon him than he 
beheld a tall and handsome man such as was King 
Cyrus, and also Smerdis, standing by his side, who 
said to him in tones of reproach and threatening : 
‘Art thou, then, the man who dissuadeth Xerxes 
from invading Greece, as if thou wert very anxious 
for him? But neither hereafter nor at present shalt 
thou escape unpunished for endeavoring to avert what 
is fated to be. What Xerxes must suffer if he con- 
tinues disobedient has been declared to him liimself.’ 

“ The man now seemed to start toward Artabanus 
holding in his hands heated irons, in order to burn out 
his eyes, when with a loud shriek which rung through 
the j)alace, arousing the guards, Artabanus sprang 
from the bed, and, wakened by his fear, found him- 
self on the floor supported in the arms of his king. 

“As soon as he had recovered his composure he 
seated himself by the side of the king, related his 
dream, and said : ‘ I, O king, being a man who have 
seen already many and great powers overthrowm by 
inferior ones, would not suffer you to yield entirely to 
youth ; knowing how mischievous it is to desire much, 
calling to mind the expedition of Cyrus against the 
Massagetse, how it fared, and calling to mind also that 
of Cambyses against the Ethiopians, and having accoin- 


DREAMS DECIDE THE ISSUE. • '71 

panied Darius in tlie invasion of Scvtliia — knowing all 
these things, I was of opinion that if you remained 
quiet 3mu must be pronounced happy by all men ; 
but since some divine impulse has sprung up, and, as 
it seems, some heaven-sent destruction impends over 
the Greeks, I myself am converted, and change my 
opinions. Do you, then, make known to the Persians 
the intimation sent by the deity and command them 
to follow the orders first given by you for the prepa- 
rations, and act so that, since the deity permits, noth- 
ing on your part may be wanting.’ 

“ Xerxes approved this determination, and again lay 
down upon his bed. As he slept he dreamed that he 
w-as crowned with the sprig of an olive-tree and that 
branches from this olive covered the whole earth, 
and that afterward the crown that was placed on his 
head disappeared. Delating this dream to the magi 
the following day, they interpreted it to mean that all 
mankind should serve him. He then summoned his 
nobles and generals and related to them his dreams 
and his decision in consequence of them. Artabanus 
earnestly seconded his wishes, and with one voice they 
all approved them. With this purpose settled, each 
one received the royal permission to depart from the 
court and hastened to his own government to prepare 
for the war, and to furnish a retinue which by its 
splendor and power would win the attention and ap- 
proval of the king.” 

JSTehemiah now noticed the shadows on the hill-sides. 


72 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

and with an apology for keeping them so long arose. 
The others arose also to depart for their homes. The 
youth, however, so earnestly begged to learn more 
that the elders appointed an hour in the following day 
to meet in the same place, when the narrative would 
be continued. Then, filled with gladness, we all de- 
scended the hill, and were soon at our respective 
homes in Jerusalem. 

0, how glad the people were ! On every hand 
they manifested their joy. As the honored elders 
passed along the streets the greatest honors were be- 
stowed upon them, and even the little children were 
taught to utter their praises. As to myself, I was like 
one in a dream. I realized the happy fortune that 
had fallen to my lot in being a scribe, and in record- 
ing the account of these things from the lips of these 
noble men, and I prayed for wisdom from God in 
order that a true account might be given. I could 
hardly sleep that night, so eager was I to listen again 
to the words of the wise. 

The following day, the second day of the feast, was 
as joyous as the first. Again the air resounded with 
the shouts of the happy multitudes. We young men 
had plenty of time to participate in the joy of our 
companions before the hour set for meeting the vener- 
able fathers of our prosperity. When we saw these 
honored ones ascending the mount we hastened to 
them and cordially greeted them with due reverence. 
We anticipated a touching recital, for Atarah was in 


DREAMS DECIDE THE ISSUE. 


73 


Babylon, in tlie service of Zopyrus, when the events 
whicli he now purposed to relate took place, and even 
now was not able to refer to them without strong 
emotion. 

After a few words of general conversation, when all 
were comfortably seated, Atarah related the story as 
follows. 


74 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CriAPTEK YII. 


BABYLON HUMILIATED. 

HERE were three things for wliieh the peo23le 



of Babylon were noted : devotion to their 


gods, love of luxury, and commerce. Their city soon 
recovered from the disaster of defeat, because all the 
nations of the earth poured their treasures into her 
mart. The Persian king held his brilliant court there 
during the winter season. The palaces of its former 
kings were still unsurpassed for magnitude, its temples 
were so lofty as to almost reach the clouds, its streets 
were lined with buildings four stories in height, and 
its manufactures were the admiration of all men. 

“It was a cosmopolitan city, and in its streets were 
snch numbers from the various nations about her that 
they could form communities of their own. The 
river was constantly crowded with boats of merchants 
from above and below tiie city, and the streets were 
daily enlivened by entering or departing caravans. 
The Babylonians prided themselves on their honesty 
and calmness. Being honest, they were successful in 
business ; being calm, they preserved their dignity and 
self-control. But when aroused their fury was un- 
controllable, and nothing so excited them as an attack 
upon their religion, their temples, or their images. 


BABYLON HUMILIATED. 


75 


“ The greatest temple in Babylon was the temple 
dedicated to Bel, which was bnllt upon a broad plat- 
form of crude brick, the floor of which was several 
feet above the ground.* The temple was built in seven 
stages, each ascending stage smaller than the one be- 
neath it. The seven stages represented the seven 
spheres in which the seven planets moved, for they 
only knew of seven planets. The first stage was an 
exact square two hundred and seventy-two feet each 
way, and twenty-six feet in height. This they assigned 
to Saturn, and as Saturn was so distant as to be almost 
beyond the region of light they covered the masonry 
with bitumen, and thus made this stage black. The 
second stage they assigned to Jupiter, to whom they 
gave the orange color by covering the masonry with a 
facing of bricks burned that hue. The third stage 
represented Mars, whose color was fiery red, and the 
bricks of that stage were of a bright red clay half 
burnt. The fourth stage was that of the sun, and they 
covered it with plates of gold. The fifth stage, that 
of Yenus, W'as of a pale yellow tint, made of bricks of 
that hue. The sixth stage represented Mercury, whose 
deep blue color was obtained by vitrifaction, the en- 
tire stage having been subjected to an intense heat, 
after it was erected, so that the bricks were converted 
into a mass of blue slag. The seventh stage was that 
of the moon, and it was covered with plates of silver. 
Upon this stage rested the shrine, wdiich by its rich 

*Rawlinson’s Seven Monarchies, vol. ii, p. 190. 


76 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

ornamentation without and witliin was expressive of 
the taste and tlie munificence of the worshipers. 

‘‘ Close bv this temple, within the same inclosure, 
was another temple, in which there was a solid gold 
statue twelve cubits high, standing in the midst of 
harmonizing splendor. Near it was anotlier statue 
made of gold, in sitting posture. The throne on 
which it sat, and the steps leading to it, were also of 
gold, and near it was a large table of gold. Outside 
the temple w^as a golden altar, standing by another, a 
larger altar, on which full-grown sheep were offered 
in sacrifice. When they celebrated the festival of 
their god a thousand talents of frankincense were con- 
sumed.* 

This sacred spot w’as a constant annoyance to the 
Persians. It seemed to be the point toward which the 
deepest affection of the Babylonians was directed ; it 
bound them into an indissoluble nationality, and the 
more firmly it thus bound them the more of a menace 
was it to the Persians. It reiDresented a religion 
which the Persians despised, and the rivalry between 
the Persians and the Babylonians was manifested in 
the effort by each to exhibit in their forms of wor- 
ship the greater magnificence. During the winter 
season, while dwelling in Babylon, the Persian king 
could not avoid seeing this threatening power staring 
him in the face. 

“ Xerxes was in his palace at Susa, busied in his 

* Herodotus, i, 183. 


BABYLON HUMILIATED. 


77 


preparations for war. As lie was considering the 
resources of liis kingdom the golden image in the 
Babylonian temple came before his mind. He re- 
membered how often his father had thought of 
destroying it, but had never done so ; now, however, 
he could take it, and his treasury would be so filled 
with gold that he would be able to divide the Greeks, 
one against the other, by the riclmess of his bribes. 
Clapping his luands he summoned Harbonah, one of 
his chamberlains. 

‘‘ The servant came, knelt before him, and received 
the command, ‘ Go speedily to Babylon, to Zopyrus, 
who hath ruled in that great city these thirty years, 
and hath always been obedient and faithful, and com- 
mand him to bring to me without delay, to be broken 
up and put in the king’s treasury, the golden image 
that stands in the temple of Bel. Go ! ’ 

‘‘W ith a silent obeisance Harbonah left the palace, 
and. with an escort of the king’s guards was soon rid- 
ing rapidly toward Babylon. 

Zopyrus was living in regal state in his palace in 
Babylon, for his services to the kingdom had obtained 
him this distinction. He had ruled his city well, and 
every thing had prospered, but he knew that in their 
hearts the people of the city hated the Persian yoke, 
and upon the least cause would rise in rebellion. 
When his chamberlains announced the arrival of the 
king’s messenger he gave him immediate audience 
and received his king’s command. 


78 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


“He knew that to attempt this desecration of their 
temple would cause war, and that he had not a suffi- 
cient number of troops to cpiell the rebellion, but it 
was not for him to reason with the king ; his course 
was to obey. lie therefore said to Ilarbonah, ‘ Go, tell 
the king that Zopyrus executes his command or dies 
in the attempt. In three days the image will be in 
Susa or Zopyrus will be numbered with the dead.’ 

“Zopyrus at once commanded his guards to arm 
themselves and be ready to inarch ; at the same time he 
commanded his servants, who were artisans, to have 
their tools in readiness for removins: the imafye. In 
the meantime the j^nrport of the king’s command 
spread throughout the city, and the fire of Babylo- 
nian idolatry was fanned into a fierce flame. 

“As Zopyrus with his troops and servants marched 
toward the temple the people left their homes, shops, 
and markets and rushed toward the temple to defend 
it from the sacrilegious invasion. Zopyrus saw the 
gathering of the multitudes and heard the threats 
from thousands of men, but neither he nor his sol- 
diers turned from their course, for the king had com- 
manded, and it must be done. 

“The aged priest and his associates who had tho 
care of the image and served at the altar continued in 
their serving as in times of peace, but stern determi- 
nation sparkled in their eyes, for they knew what was 
coming. , 

“ The high-priest stood by the altar in his long 


BABYLON HUMILIATED. 


'79 


striped and flounced robe. His official scarf was 
hanging down his back, Ids priestly miter was upon 
his head. He stood rigidly erect, for he saw before 
him the crown of martyrdom, and lie smiled with sat- 
isfaction in the anticipation. He was ready to offer 
liis own weak, aged body as a sacrifice to his faith. 
As the Persian satrap approached the temple he com- 
manded him to halt, and not dare to desecrate holy 
ground, for such a sacrilegious invasion of those con- 
secrated precincts would merit the extreme wrath of 
offended deity. Then placing himself in the gate-way 
he attempted to stay their further progress. 

“But the soldiers pressed on. The multitudes 
threw themselves in the way to protect their shrine, 
but the soldiers pierced them with their swords, for 
they determined, if necessary, to carve a way to the 
shrine through the bodies of those intercepting 
them. 

“ The surging masses forced the high-priest to the 
front of the altar, and there he fell, pierced with the 
swords of the soldiers and trampled beneath their feet 
as they crowded to the shrine. 

“ In the meantime the multitude had increased, men 
came running from every part of the city, and as the 
news spread that their priest had been slain they 
frantically rushed upon the soldiers, until a barricade 
of dead bodies surrounded the satrap and his guards. 
The people pressed on until the soldiers could not 
find room to use their weapons, and they w'ere swept 


80 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

down by the masses of infuriated men crowding upon 
them. 

“ Zopyrus, riding his strong white horse, was a well- 
known figure, and he became the object of especial 
vengeance. He was torn from his horse, a thousand 
men eacli craved the opportunity of giving him a 
stroke, and as the high-priest liad been trampled to 
death by the multitudes so now was he. His fall 
was hailed with loud shoutings by the people, and all 
over the city the cry rang forth, ‘ Babylon is free ! ’ 

‘‘ But, alas for their hopes ! the power of Persia was 
great, and the high walls which had before defied the 
invading armies were now broken down. 

‘‘ When Harbonah returned to Susa he informed 
the king of the answer Zopyrus had given and of 
the threatenings of revolution. He was followed by 
a courier, who announced that Babylon was in arms 
against the king’s commander, and then came a 
courier announcing the death of Zopyrus and his 
guards. 

“ Megabyzus was standing by the side of the king 
when the last courier delivered his message. Natural 
grief filled his heart, but with masterly self-control 
he turned to the king and begged permission to 
avenge his father’s death. 

There was no one in all Persia whom the king 
would more willingly trust to command his troops 
than Megabyzus. Trained as he had been under the 
eye of Darius, and experienced in many battles and 


BABYLON HUMILIATED. 


81 


beloved by all the soldiers for liis excellent qualities, 
he was unsurpassed as a general and as a man. The 
king therefore gave him permission to reconquer 
Babylon and bring the golden image, as he had com- 
manded, and tlnis avenge his worthy sire’s death. 

“ The trumpets sounded at the gates of the royal 
palace, and the king from his portico watched the 
companies of his great army gathering for marching 
orders in the plain below Shuslian. When all was 
ready the army went forward, and by forced marches 
soon entered the plain before Babylon. Once more 
siege Avas laid to the proud city, but now there was no 
wide moat nor high walls to defend her. 

“ The Babylonians fought bravely. But what could 
they do against the veterans of Persia? And it became 
a hand-to-hand conflict in which the multitudes of 
Babylonians unskilled in war rapidly fell before the 
skilled soldiers of Persia. 

‘‘With fierce and terrible earnestness Megabyzus 
pressed forward ; with masterly skill he found the 
weak places in his foe’s defense; with inflexible 
wrath he drove them from street to street, from tem- 
ple to temple, until he had ravaged every temple and 
desecrated every altar. Then, coming to the temple 
where his father had been slain, he stripped it of all 
its glory, took from it the golden images, and sent 
them to the king as the indisputable tokens of his 
victory. 

“ There was wailing in the palaces of Babylon, and 
6 


82 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

despair in the hearts of the people, for in their dis- 
tress the consolations of their religious sacrifices and 
priestly appeals were denied them, while on every 
hand their enemies scornfully mocked them. 

“ As Megabyzus rode in triumph through the city 
he came to one quarter in which there were exhibited 
no signs of mourning, and the shops were open for 
trade as in the days of prosperity. There seemed to 
be large numbers of the people in the streets, but 
they were quite different from the Babylonians. 
Their houses were built in a different style, their 
manner of dress, their salutations, their mode of wor- 
ship were all different. They had no temple in the 
city. Their place of meeting was only a plain, sub- 
stantial structure entirely without ornament, and 
when the people engaged in prayer within its un- 
adorned walls it was always with their faces turned 
toward the west. As merchants they were thrifty ; 
as scholars, wise ; as citizens, quiet. They seemed at 
all times to be ready to leave their homes and go 
wherever tliey might be directed by some internal 
monitor. They were as pilgrims making the most of 
present opportunities, yet constantly looking for a 
command to leave Babylon. 

‘‘ These strange people were our people who were 
exiles from Jerusalem. Megabyzus remembered the 
story of their strange flight from Babylon before its 
subjection by Darius, and that afterward upon tlie 
request of his father many had returned, while others 


BABYLON HUMILIATED. 


83 


went out upon the various lines of travel to engage 
in the caravan traffic of the kingdom. They were a 
people distinguished for their social purity, business 
honor, and keenness in trade. 

“They pleased Megabyzus, for he saw that they 
too had hated the idolatry of the Babylonians and 
were in full sympathy with the desecration of the 
temples and the humiliation of the priests of the 
proud and wicked city. 

“He had heard the story of the three brave men 
who in the days of Hebuchadnezzar refused to bow 
down before the golden image the king had made 
and were thrown into the fiery furnace, but for their 
faithfulness were preserved by the God of heaven 
from all harm. Megabyzus recognized the spirit of 
these T)eople as in harmony with his own, and he de- 
termined to favor them, even as his father had done, 
when the opportunity came to him. 

“When he had thoroughly restored order, and 
obedience was professed by all tlie rulers of the city, 
Megabyzus returned to Susa to report to the king. 
His coming was the occasion of many great and 
brilliant feasts, in whicli the nobles of the kingdom 
and the officers who had so gallantly served in the re- 
duction of Babylon were feasted and complimented 
by the king. 

“ Meanwhile the preparations for the war with 
Greece were pushed forward. The king returned to 
spend half a year in receiving the gifts and tribute 


84 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

of liis kingdom and in feasting tlie various officers as 
they came before him. For this purpose it was neces- 
sary to have in the king’s gate officers able to converse 
in various languages and skilled in accounts, who 
would keep the record of all the wealth that should 
be brought to the king, in order that justice might be 
done to all in proportion to the value of the gifts 
they brought. 

“As the king was consulting with his counselor 
Megabyzus said, ‘ O king, there is a people dwelling 
in Babylon who have ever been faithful to the laws 
of this realm, a people of great thrift and wisdom, 
wdio in times past have been honored by Cyrus, Cam- 
byses, and Darius. They were brought to Babylon 
as captives by N^ebuchadnezzar, who elevated Daniel, 
one of them, to the highest place in the kingdom 
because of his excellent attainments. lie was the 
wisest man in the king’s realm. In the days of Cyrus 
a prince of this people named Sheshbazzar was highly 
honored because of his noble qualities, and I have 
seen many great men among them wdio are learned 
in the interpretation of laws. At the same time there 
are no people in all the kingdom so keen in trading 
as these. And now, O king, there is dwelling in 
Babylon one of these people, named Mordecai, who 
is said to understand seventy languages, a man of 
honor and skilled in business. He would be a suit- 
able person to sit in the king’s gate and keep the 
accounts of the gifts and tribute brought to the king.’ 


BABYLON HUMILIATED. 


85 


“ Such a commendation could not fail to please the 
king, and he commanded that Mordecai should be 
employed in the gate without delay. 

From the beginning of the reign of Darius it had 
been required of Babylon to send the king an annual 
present of five hundred eunuchs of the choicest 
young men in the city. The position of eunuch was 
gradually being exalted until the king appointed 
many of them to be chamberlains in his service, and 
they were held in high favor by the king, the queen, 
and the nobles. They w^ere given many valuable 
presents, and were able to possess costly apparel and 
splendid palaces. They Avere the custodians of the 
accounts of their masters, and this embraced the state- 
ments of their wealth and the numbering of their 
households. To be a favored eunuch was to enjoy all 
the luxuries of life. 

When the next company of eunuchs went from 
Babylon to Shushan Mordecai was with them and 
I was by his side. While the greater number of the 
company was scattered throughout the kingdom 
Mordecai was sent to sit in the king’s gate, wliile I 
returned to serve in the palace of Megabyzus.” 

Atarah paused a moment, then said, “ I will now 
give Avay to Mordecai, who can tell us of the great 
feast of the king and the army that was gathered, for 
he kept the records.” 

After thinking a moment Mordecai began. 


86 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CHAPTEE YIII. 


THE FEAST OF ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DAYS. 



LABOEATE preparations for the Greek war 


I j were now pushed forward. Every depart- 
ment of trade and all kinds of manufactures were 
quickened, and .the spirit of enterprise filled every 
province with liveliness. There were no idle peo- 
ple. There were none suffering for the necessaries 
of life. Plenty abounded on every hand. Gold 
was freely dispensed from the king’s treasury. Tlie 
people forgot the burden of taxes in the enjoyment 
of their increased income. Every- where artisans were 
busy with hammer and tongs forging weapons of 
war. Miners were diligently delving in the earth for 
the required metals. Woodmen were searching the 
forests for wood to make bows, spears, and carriages. 
Hunters were traversing the mountains for animals 
to supply strings for bows and clothing for the 
troops. Cloth manufacturers were working every 
loom. Agriculturists were raising grain and grass on 
every foot of arable land to fill the granaries with 
provisions. The cracking of the teamsters’ whips was 
heard on every road throughout the entire kingdom 
as the stores and weapons were conveyed to points 
along the king’s highway from Susa to Sardis or to 


THE FEAST OF ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DAYS. 87 

the general rendezvous at Critalla. In every province 
the governor sought to do the best in his power, not 
only to display the richness of his territory, but also 
to win the promised reward for excellence. 

In this busy time the nobles and favorites immedi- 
ately under the eye of the king received many gifts. 
They had the best of opportunities for accumulating 
wealth, but, not anxious to save it, rather chose to 
spend it by increasing the style and lavish display of 
their living and equipages. 

The Persians, however, were not adepts in busi- 
ness. This had always been relegated to the lower 
classes or foreigners. The Jews had become the 
great traders of the kingdom, and now there were 
many Jews occupying favorable positions in the 
houses of the princes, through whom their country- 
men had every advantage of trade. I was in the 
king’s gate, Atarah was in the service of the great 
general, and our friends were in every palace. 

“ The kingdom was divided into one hundred and 
twenty-seven provinces, and these were grouped in 
twenty satrapies. These extended from India to 
Ethiopia, a distance of over three thousand miles, and 
embraced what had formerly constituted all the 
great kingdoms of the earth. All the riches of mines 
and forests, of seas and rivers, of temples and palaces, 
were at the king’s command. 

The great Susian plain, stretching from Susa to 
the mountains, twenty-four miles awa}^, w^as given up 


88 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

for the camp of the assembling liosts, and during the 
one hundred and eighty days the satrap of each 
division of the kingdom, with his body-guard, a 
representative contingent, his tribute and gift, was 
commanded to appear and be inspected by the king, 
while the full complement of troops marched to the 
rendezvous at Critalla. 

“From the portico of his palace, facing the Susian 
plain, the king, surrounded by his guards, courtiers, 
chamberlains, and nobles, observed the manner in 
which the various bodies of troops marched, the 
splendor of their appearance, and the nature of their 
equipment before their commander prostrated him- 
self at the foot of the throne. 

Leading from the plain to the palace was a 
magnificent flight of steps, the admiration of all who 
ascended them. Each step was four inches high, and 
the series was so wide that ten horsemen could ride 
up them abreast. 

“ At the base of this stair-way were broad and high 
platforms built of great solid blocks of stone, upon 
which, as the representative guardians of the approach 
to the throne, stood colossal bulls, and along the sides 
of the stair-way were inscriptions of bulls, warriors, 
captives bringing tribute, and sentences declaring the 
glory of the king, all intended to impress the person 
ascending the stairs with the majesty and power of 
the king. 

“ Beautiful as was the plain, with its tents and bat- 


THE FEAST OF ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DAYS. 89 

talions of men in gorgeous armor, it was far surpassed 
bj the splendor of Slmshan, the hill of palaces, which 
was unequaled. Every thing was arranged to im- 
press the beholder with the wealth, luxury, taste, and 
power of the king, who, clothed in gorgeous-colored 
raiment, dazzling in its profusion of gold and jewels, 
received the adulation of his people and bestowed 
upon them his favors in return. 

“ The formal manner of approach was strictly ad- 
hered to, and it was the duty of the chamberlain, upon 
pain of death, to prevent any violation of the estab- 
lished etiquette of the court. 

“ No one was permitted to pass through the gate 
until the king’s servants in the gate had obtained 
knowledge of his purpose in seeking audience with 
the king and an account of his gifts. 

“ The proper chamberlain instructed all visitors 
how to approach his majesty, and tliey were only al- 
lowed to enter his presence when he called for them, 
and then, with their hands hidden up their sleeves, to 
prostrate themselves as worshipers before his foot- 
stool. 

“ Never before in the history of man had so much 
magnificence been gathered into one city as at this 
feast of one hundred and eighty days, when the splen- 
dor of the world was laid at Xerxes’s feet. 

“ The grand feast was opened by the reception of 
the first satrapy, .composed of the Greek tribes living 
in Asia, the lonians, Magnesia,ns, ^olians, Carians, 


90 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


Lycians, Milyans, and Pampliylians. They were rep- 
resented by Cybernisus the Lycian, and Histisens, 
Pygres, and Damasithymns, tlie Carians, who brought 
as their annual tribute four hundred talents in sil- 
ver, and toward the war pledged the strength of 
their navies. Pamphylia pledged thirty ships fully 
manned, Lycia fifty ships, the Dorians thirty ships, 
the Carians seventy ships, the lonians one hundred 
ships, the ^olians sixty ships, and the Ionian island- 
ers seventeen ships.* 

Xerxes was so greatly pleased with this splendid 
report that he gave them as their commander his own 
brother, Ariobignes, and for a week feasted them 
daily in the royal palace with the nobles of the court. 

“ On the second week the second satrapy of the 
kingdom presented themselves. These were the 
Mysians, Lydians, Lasonians, Cabalians, and Ilygen- 
nians, who brought a tribute of live hundred talents. 

They came in two divisions, the first being the 
Lydians and Mysians, The Lydians, dressed in Greek 
costume, carried long spears, the Mysians carried 
javelins which had been hardened by fire and wore 
peculiar helmets on their heads. The king gave them 

* The tribute here represented was the tribute Darius exacted of 
these various divisions of tlie kingdom recorded by Herodotus, who 
also gives us the names of the commanders and the style of their 
equipment. Tiie division of the one hundred and eighty days, or the 
grouping, is my own, so as to give the picture of the organization of 
the kingdom. I have made it as concise as possible, and yet to pre- 
sent all of it. 


THE FEAST OF ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DAYS. 91 

as commander liis cousin Artapliernes, whose fatlier, 
with Datis, had suffered so much from the Greets at 
Marathon. To the son was now given the duty of 
winning back the lost laurels witli Greek soldiers 
under tlie Persian banner. 

“ Badres, the son of Hystanes, was aj^pointed to the 
command of the otlier division. "Of these one body 
carried small shields made of raw hides, and each 
soldier had two javelins, such as they used in hunting 
wolves. On their heads they wore helmets made of 
brass, decorated with the ears and horns of an ox, 
also in brass ; and over these decorations helmet 
crests. They also wrapped their legs in purple cloth. 
They had with them, as their spiritual guide, an 
oracle of their god Mars. The Lasonians wore hel- 
mets and wmolen tunics ; they carried bucklers made 
of raw hides, and every man carried two javelins 
made like the Egyptian cimeters. The others of this 
division wore helmets made of tanned skins, carried 
Lycian bows and short lances, and fastened their gar- 
ments by clasps. The week was spent in feasting 
these warriors, who attracted the attention of all the 
Persians. 

“ The third week was devoted to the reception of 
the third satrapy, which came in four groups, bring- 
ing three hundred and sixty talents as their tribute. 
The first group was the Paphlagonians and Matie- 
nians. These wore on their heads plaited helmets 
and on their feet boots reaching up to the middle of 


92 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

tlie leg ; these boots were peculiar to their country. 
They carried small shields, medium-sized spears, jave- 
lins, and daggers. The king appointed Datus to com- 
mand them. Tlie second group consisted of the 
Mariandynians, Ligyes, and Cappadocians, who were 
dressed the same as the first group. The Cappado- 
cians brought to the king fifty thousand sheep, two 
thousand mules, and fifteen hundred horses. Xerxes 
gave this group as commander Gobryas, his half- 
brother, his mother being the beloved Arty stone. 
The third group was similarly dressed. They were 
the Phrygians, and were given as commander Ar- 
tochmes, the son-in-law of Darius. The fourth group 
consisted of the Thracians, and received as command- 
er Bassaces, the son of Artabanus, and the cousin of 
the king. They excited universal attention, for they 
wore fox-skins on their heads and tunics round their 
bodies. Over their tunics they wore variously colored 
cloaks, and on their feet and legs buskins of fawn- 
skin ; and they carried for weapons light bucklers, 
javelins, and small daggers. 

“ The fourth week opened by the coming of the 
fourth satrapy, composed entirely of Cilicians, who 
brought their annual tribute of five hundred talents 
of silver and three hundred and sixty white horses. 
These horses, the finest their country produced, were 
drawn up before the palace, in the plain, for the 
king’s inspection, and he, pleased with their appear- 
ance, remitted a hundred and forty talents of the trib- 


THE FEAST OF ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DAYS. 93 

ute, as had been the custom of his fatlier, to pay for 
the cost of sustaining Persian troops during the year 
on Cilician territory. The Cilicians were led by the 
famous Syennesis, who offered as the Cilician contin- 
gent one hundred ships thoroughly furnished with 
rowers and soldiers, every soldier armed with raw- 
hide bucklers, helmets, two javelins, and a sword 
shaped like a ci meter. The king gave them as com- 
mander the noble Prexaspes, whose father, Aspa- 
thines, ^was one of the seven conspirators. High 
revelry, which increased as the hosts gathered in the 
plain, closed this week. 

“ When the fifth satrapy appeared my interest was 
intensified, for this satrapy consisted of the Cyprians, 
the Phenicians, the Samaritans, Philistines, Damas- 
cenes, and my countrymen, the Jews, wdio brought 
as their tribute three hundred and fifty talents ; and in 
addition, as their war contingent, the Cyprians, by 
their admirals Gorgus and Timonax, offered a hun- 
dred and fifty ships ; while the Phenicians, through 
Tetramnestus the Sidonian and Mapen the Tyrian, 
offered three hundred ships. Xerxes was so greatly 
pleased with the Sidonian that he ordered him to 
have at hand, when the war began, a Sidonian vessel 
to convey him whither he should choose to go on the 
water. As their commander Xerxes assigned them 
Megabazus, one of the Achsemenidae, and the son of 
the distinguished general Megabates, who served with 
60 much brilliancy under Darius in the campaign 


94 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


against Miletus. Tins body of troops wore helmets 
similar to the Greeks, but as a j^eculiar feature of 
their dress wore linen breastplates and carried shields 
without rims. Tliej" were armed with javelins. 

“ Brilliant as was the fifth week it was but as a 
prelude to the next, when the sixth satrapy, compris- 
ing the Egyptians and the Libyans, appeared. They 
brouglit the annual revenue of the fish-trade of Lake 
Moeris, receipts for having furnished the "White For- 
tress in Memphis with a hundred and twenty measures 
of corn, and seven hundred talents in silver. They 
gave evidence of being once more the loyal subjects 
of the great king, and for the war against their old 
allies pledged immense stores of grain and a fleet of 
two hundred ships, each having tliree banks of row- 
ers and a full equipment of marines, each marine 
wearing a plaited helmet and carrying a hollow shield 
with a large rim, wearing breastplates also, and armed 
with a large sword, pikes, and large hatchets for 
fighting in close quarters at sea. This company was 
led by the king’s brother, Achgemenes, to whom he 
had committed the government of Egypt after its 
rebellion, and who now proudly displayed the evi- 
dences of his success in restoring it to its place among 
the Persian satrapies. The king graciously acknowl- 
edged his brothers success by continuing him in the 
same honorable position. With this the nations of 
the extreme western part of the kingdom were all re- 
viewed, and an interval of festivities was interposed. 


THE FEAST OF ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DAYS. 95 

“ Such continued glorification was not without its 
shadows, and the hand of pleasure was dipped into 
the sea of grief from within the circle of noblemen 
nearest tlie throne. One of the brightest ornaments 
in the galaxy of beautiful women surrounding the 
queen was the sister of Megabyzus. One of the 
proudest and most favored of the noble race of Ach- 
semenidse was Sataspes, son of Teaspes. His mother 
was the sister of Xerxes and his brother was the 
gifted Pherendates. In this carnival of pleasure 
Sataspes violated the honor of his name and the sanc- 
tity of virtue about the throne by compelling the 
beautiful sister of Megabyzus to become the victim of 
his lust. The fury of the monarch was aroused by 
such a deed, and, although it was his own nephew 
who was the culprit, he commanded him to be imme- 
diately put to death by impalement. 

‘‘But while the guards, at the solicitations of the 
nobles and at the rist of their lives, held this com- 
mand in suspense the king’s sister, the mother of 
the culprit, pleaded for his life, promising to punish 
him by compelling him to undertake the almost 
mythical journey of sailing around Libya. Thus 
M’hen all the heroes of the kingdom would be win- 
ning laurels for brave deeds he would be wasting 
his days and nights in attempting to prove the 
possibility of this voyage, which some affirmed to 
have been accomplished. Xerxes yielded to the 
l^rayers of his sister, and sent Sataspes into Egypt, to 


96 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

there obtain a ship with sailors and to at once proceed 
on his journey, threatening if he did not succeed the 
sentence of death would surely be executed upon him. 

“ The seventh week of festival and banquetings 
was almost gone when Sataspes departed.” 


THE GLORY OF PERSIA’S POWER. 


97 


CHAPTEK IX. 


THE GLORY JDP PERSIA’S POWER. 

HE king now commanded the nations in the 



extreme eastern part of the kingdom to ap- 


proach, pay their tribute and show tlie glory of their 
part of the kingdom. 

“ The eightli week was given to tlie seventh satrapy, 
consisting of the Sattagydse, Aliarytfe, Dadicse, and 
Gandarians, who dwelt on the borders of India. Tliey 
brought for tribute a hundred and seventy talents. 
They wore turbans on their heads, and as weapons car- 
ried cane bows and short spears. Xerxes gave them as 
commander his cousin Artyphius, son of Artabanes. 

The ninth week was given to the twelfth satrapy, 
comprising the Bactrians. They brought as tribute 
three hundred and sixty talents. They were clothed 
and armed as those who appeared the previous week. 

‘‘ The tenth week was devoted to the fifteenth sat- 
rapy, comprising the Sacse and Caspii, from the ex- 
treme north-western part of the kingdom, who brought 
as tribute two hundred and fifty talents. These east- 
ern Scythians had on their heads caps which came to 
a point and stood erect ; they also wore loose trousers. 
For weapons they carried bows peculiar to their coun- 
try, daggers, and battle-axes. The king joined the 


7 


98 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

Bactrians, Sacse, and Caspii in one command, and 
placed over them liis own full brother, Hystaspes. 

“ The eleventh week ushei-ed in one of the grandest 
periods of the feast, and in the palaces, the city, and 
over the plain the curiosity Avas aroused to a high de- 
gree. It was given to the contingent from India, the 
twentieth satrapy of the kingdom. The men came 
clad in garments of cotton, carrying bows and arrows 
of bamboo, the arrows tipped with iron. They came 
not only with infantry, but also with cavalry clothed 
like the infantry, but who used saddle-horses and 
chariots drawn by horses and by fleet wild asses. They 
brought as tribute a talent of gold-dust for every day of 
the year. They were placed under the command of 
Phanazathres. 

In the twelfth week came the seventeenth satrapy, 
comprising the Paricanians and the Asiatic Ethiopians, 
who brought a tribute of four hundred talents. They 
wore mantles made of goat-skins, and carried bows 
made from a peculiar kind of cane found in their 
country ; they also carried daggers. Sirornitres, one of 
the king’s veterans, was given the command over 
them. These Asiatic Ethiopians attracted great atten- 
tion, for while accoutered almost the same as the In- 
dians they differed in wearing on their heads skins of 
horses’ heads as masks, stripped off with the ears and 
mane, the mane serving instead of a crest, while the 
ears were fixed erect. For defensive armor they used 
the skins of cranes instead of shields. 


THE GLORY OF PERSIA’S POWER. 


99 


“ In the thirteenth week came tlie sixteenth satrapy 
from the extreme nortli beyond the lower end of the 
Caspian Sea. They came in three groups, in all bring- 
ing as tribute three liundred talents. First, the 
Arians, who wore Median turbans on their heads and 
carried bows of tlie Median style, and short spears. 
Sisamnes, son of Ilydarnes, the conspirator, was given 
the command over them. Second came the Parthians 
and Chorasmians, who Avere clothed the same as the 
Bactrians, and received as commander Artabazus, one 
of the special favorites of the king. He was re- 
nowned for his skill ; his father was Pharnaces. 
The third group appeared the same as the others, 
though they were the Sogdians. They Avere given 
as commander Azanes, one of the Achaemenidse and 
one of the most lordly in stature of all the Persians. 

When their Aveek of feasting Avas over the nine- 
teenth satrapy appeared, bringing a tribute of three 
hundred talents. These Avere the nations bordering the 
eastern end of the Euxine. They AA’ore on their heads 
wooden helmets, carried small bucklers, and spears Avith 
large points. They were divided and placed under 
the command of three noblemen. The Moschians and 
Tibarenians were given to Ariomardus, the king’s 
brother, grandson of Smerdis. The Macronians and 
Mosyncecians were given to Artayctes, avIio, by his 
treachery, licentiousness, and baseness, proved to be 
the most despicable of the entire array of Persian gen- 
erals. The Marsians were given to Pherendates, who 


100 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


also commanded tlie Colcliians ; he was one of the 
Achgemenidse, son of Teaspes. These feasted during 
the fourteenth w^eeh. 

“ The fifteenth week was given to the eleventh sat* 
rapy, comprising the nations bordering the lower end 
of the Caspian Sea, the Casjaians, Pansicge, Daritse, 
and Pantimathi. They brought as tribute two hundred 
talents, and for the war infantry and cavalry, all 
equipped like the Bactrians. They were placed in the 
division commanded by Ariomardus. 

“ The sixteenth week was given to the thirteenth 
satrapjq consisting of the Pactyica and the Armeni- 
ans toward the Euxine, who brought as tribute four 
hundred talents. They wore goat-skin mantles, and 
besides daggers carried bows peculiar to their coun- 
try. Artyntes, one of the Achaemenidae, was placed 
over them. 

“ The seventeenth week was given to the eighteenth 
satrapy, comprising the Matienians, Saspires, and Ala- 
sodians, W'ho brought as tribute two hundred talents, 
and with the Armenians furnished twenty thousand 
colts. They were armed with swords, short lances, 
sliields of raw hides, and wooden helmets. Masistius, 
son of tlie veteran Siromitres, was placed in command 
of them. 

The eighteenth week was given to the tenth satrapy, 
comprising Ecbatana and the rest of Media, the Pari- 
canians and the Orthacorybantes. They brought as 
tribute four hundred and fifty talents, and also a 


THE GLORY OF PERSIA’S POWER. 


101 


liiindred tliousand slieep, four thousand mules, and 
three thousand horses. The Medes were given as 
commander Tigranes, one of the Achgemenidae. ^^ext 
to the king he was the tallest and most beautiful of 
all the Persians. He had both infantry and cavalry, 
dressed the same as the Persians. 

“ The nineteenth week was given to the ninth sat- 
rapy, comprising Babylon and the rest of Assyria, who 
brought as tribute one thousand talents and five hun- 
dred eunuclis. They wore helmets of brass twisted 
in a peculiar manner. They carried shields, spears, 
and daggers, also wooden clubs knotted with iron, 
and they wore linen cuirasses. Otaspes, one of the 
Achaemenidae, was placed over them. 

“The twentieth week was given to the eighth sat- 
rapy. It embraced Susiana and the Cisslan country, 
which gave as tribute three hundred talents. They 
were armed the same as the Persians except that they 
wore miters on their heads. Anaphes, son of Otanes 
and brother to the queen, was placed over the Cis- 
sians, and the Hyrcanians were given to Megapanus. 

“ The twenty-first week was given to those who 
dwelt in the desert country east of Susa and north of 
Persepolis, and in the isles of the Erytliraean Sea. 
Their tribute was six hundred talents. They com- 
posed the fourteenth satrapy of the kingdom. They 
came in four groups. First the Sarangae, who were 
conspicuous by wearing dyed garments and buckskins 
reaching to their knees. They carried bows and 


102 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


Median javelins. Plierendates. one of the Aciisemen- 
idge, was placed over them. Second, the Utians and 
Mycians, who wore goat-skin mantles and carried 
bows and daggers. Arsamenes, the brother of 
tlie king, was placed over them. The third gronp 
was tlie Sagartians, who were dressed similar to 
the Persians, and furnished eight thousand horses for 
the cavalry. The only weapons they carried were 
daggers, but every man was skilled in the use of the 
lasso, which he carried with him at all times. These 
warriors were placed in the cavalry under the com- 
mand of the son of Datis. The fourth group was 
made up of those from the isles of the Erythraean Sea, 
who had been banished for political reasons from 
various parts of the kingdom. They were clothed in 
Median costume, and were commanded by Mardontes. 
This closed the list of tribute-giving satrapies. 

“ The twenty-second week was of great interest to 
all in Susa, for it was given to the Ethiopians. The 
Ethiopians brought their gifts, consisting of two 
clioenices of unmolten gold, two liundred blocks of 
ebony, twenty large elephant tusks, and five Etliiopian 
boys. These Ethiopians were clothed in the skins of 
panthers and lions. They carried long bows not less 
than four cubits in length, made from the palm-tree’s 
brandies. On them they placed short arrows made of 
cane, which, instead of being tipped with iron, were 
tipped with jade, tlie same stone that was used for 
engraving seals. They also carried javelins, with an 


THE GLOHY OF PERSIA’S POWER. 


103 


antelope’s horn made sharp like a lance on its tip. 
They also carried knotted clubs. These Ethiopians 
alone of all people liad woolly hair, and were frightful 
in appearance in battle, because then they smeared one 
half their body with chalk and the other half with 
red ochre. 

“ The twenty-third week was given to the Arabians. 
The Arabians brought a thousand talents of frankin- 
cense and immense quantities of sandal-wood, besides 
choice spices and perfumes, which were superior to 
those of all other countries. They wore cloaks fast- 
ened by a girdle, and carried on tlieir right sides 
long bows which bent backward. They came riding 
on camels, and brought other camels to serve as beasts 
of burden for the king’s army. The king placed the 
Ethiopians and Arabians under the command of 
Arsames, his half-brother. 

‘‘ The twenty-fourth week was given to the Colchi- 
ans, who came once in every five years from the borders 
of Mount Caucasus, bringing a gift of one hundred 
boys and one hundred girls to the king. The Col- 
chians wore wooden helmets and carried small raw- 
hide shields, short lances, and swords. They were 
placed under the command of Pherendates. 

‘‘ The remaining days of the one hundred and eighty 
days were given to the Persians, to whom the noble- 
men of the king’s court and his guards belonged. 
Of these ten thousand, the clioicest in beauty and 
stature were the special guardians of the king. They 


104 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

were called the Immortals, because their number was 
always kept the same. If one died his place was im- 
mediately taken by another. They were commanded 
by Ilydarnes, the son of one of the conspirators. 
They were arrayed in the greatest splendor. On 
their heads they wore loose tiaras ; on tlieir bodies 
variously colored sleeves, breastplates wdth polished 
scales resembling fish-scales, but made of iron. On 
their legs they wore loose trousers. They carried 
bucklers made of osier, under which their quivers 
were hung. They also carried sliort spears, long 
bows, arrows of cane, and daggers suspended from 
the right thigh. They had covered chariots, and 
when they marched took with tliem their concubines, 
tents, well equipped with attendants, and all the lux- 
ury of a moving court. Their provisions were con- 
veyed by camels and other beasts of burden, apart 
from the stores for the other soldiers of the army. 
The Persian cavalry were distinguished by the brazen 
and steel-wrought ornaments which they wore on 
their heads. Otanes, the father of the queen, 
and one of the conspirators, commanded the Per- 
sians. 

“ Thus for a hundred and eighty days the glory of 
the kingdom was spread before the king. And 
when the statement of tlie tribute and the war arma- 
ment was called for I, who sat in the gate, announced, 
‘ Tribute in silver, nine thousand five hundred .and 
forty talents ; tribute in gold, equal to talents in sil- 


THE GLORY OF PERSIA’S POWER. 


105 


ver, four thousand six hundred and eighty talents.'^' 
Ships for war, twelve hundred and seven ships of the 
line; and of galleys, transports, and victualers, three 
thousand more, carrying five hundred and seventeen 
thousand six hundred and ten men. Of the land 
forces, one million seven hundred thousand footmen 
and eighty thousand horsemen. Besides these, slaves, 
eunuchs, attendants, and concubines without num- 
ber.’ t 

“ The king rejoiced in possessing an armament 
greater than any king before him had ever been able 
to muster, and by which he confidently expected to 
overwhelm the enemies of his throne with utter de- 
struction. 

The king now seemed to bo the most higlily fa- 
vored of mortals. The only cloud on his happiness 
was the affair of Sataspes. But his pleasure was 
soon dimmed, for in the height of his prosperity by 
one foolish action he opened the way for the great- 
est miseries to crowd upon him, which made his out- 
ward glory a mockery and his inner life a perpetual 
disappointment. Yet it proved to be the greatest 
opening for the development of the power and glory 
of God’s chosen people. Listen, and I will now 
relate to you this astonishing event.” 

* Herodotus, p. 210. f Prideaux, vol. i, p. 209. 


lOG THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CIIAPTEK X. 


VASHTI DETHRONED. 

HE period of feasting in wliicli the magnifi- 



X cencc of the kingdom was displayed having 
passed so snccessfnlly, the beginning of the march of 
the army was celebrated by an additional feast of 
seven days. 

“ This was a double feast, one given by the king in 
his palace to his nobles and generals, the other by the 
queen in her palace to the noble ladies of tiie kingdom. 
The. courts of the king’s palace were paved with four 
varieties of stone cut in blocks. They were of red por- 
phyry, blue lapis-lazuli, white alabaster, and black mar- 
ble. The roof was supported by lofty, slender marble 
pillars, to which silver sockets were fastened by which 
the white, blue, and green curtains were hung in 
graceful festoons. The guests rested on divans of 
silver, ornamented with gold and covered with bro- 
cades of mixed gold and silver threads. 

“ To each guest a different pattern of golden drink- 
ing-vessel was given by which a eunuch served him 
with the king’s own wine, the choicest produced in 
the kingdom, and ordinarily used only by the king. 
How the eunuchs were commanded to urge the guests 
to drink freely and thus honor the bounty of the king. 


VASHTI DETHRONED. 


107 


The gardens of the palace were thrown open to the 
guests, in which during the intervals of feasting they 
engaged in conversation and promenading. 

‘^The company that now assembled to do honor to 
the wishes of the king was composed of the greatest 
of the Persians. The lofty hill in the midst of the city 
Susa, covered with royal palaces and gardens, was called 
Shushan. Here the king dwelt surrounded by his no- 
bles. Below the hill in the city Susa dwelt the people 
who were inferior to the royal family, such as the ordi- 
nary class of nobles, officers of the army, servants of 
the court, trades-people, artisans, travelers, and de- 
pendents on the favor of the nobles, or those seeking 
the bounty of the king. These people could look up 
to Shushan and behold its glory, but only on certain 
days were they allowed to enter its precincts. 

‘‘ This feast was for those who dwelt in Shushan and 
guests from the minor courts of the various prov- 
inces. The feast displayed the luxuriance of the king. 

The Achsemenidse, the family to which the king 
belonged, were superior in beauty and stature to all 
others, and there were none in any part of the king- 
dom to compare with them in majestic bearing. Of 
these no one was equal to the king ; hence, like King 
Saul among the ancient Israelites, Xerxes was the 
most majestic person in the kingdom. The splendor 
of his robes and the lofty tiara upon his head added 
to his magnificence, and allured the people to pros- 
trate themselves before him as to a deity. 


108 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


“ About liim at the feast were his favorites, JVIega- 
bjzus, Hydarnes, Smerdoiiienes, Prexaspes, Anaplies, 
and Patirarnphes, sons of tlie famous conspirators ; 
Mardonius and Artabaims, his uncles; Otanes, the 
only surviving conspirator and father of the queen; 
his royal brothers, sons, cousins, and nobles whom he 
had recently elevated to the command of divisions in 
the army. Here were the seven counselors of his 
throne, and the seven favored chamberlains, with a 
host of attending eunuchs zealous to anticipate the 
wishes of the guests. 

‘‘ In the palace adjoining and communicating with 
the king’s palace the queen was entertaining in simi- 
lar state the wives and daughters of the nobles. The 
queen was the daughter of Otanes, the proudest and 
most highly favored of all the Persians. By virtue 
of the agreement the conspirators entered into pre- 
vious to the selection of the King, Otanes was made 
forever free and independent of the king’s command. 
His was the only family in the kingdom possessing as 
a personal right this peculiar and exalted liberty. 

In early youth Xerxes had married Amestris, the 
daughter of Otanes. Thus by a double right she 
was the most distinguished woman in the kingdom. 
Amestris was as haughty as she was noble, and with 
a vigorous spirit sustained her dignity and preserved 
the glory of the court. At this time, although she 
was the mother of several children of marriageable 
age, she was called Yashti, the most beautiful one in 


VASHTI DETHRONED. 


109 


the kingdom, wliile Xerxes was called Ahasueriis, the 
lion-like king. Thus she received the most hearty 
praise of all people because of her personal charms. 

“ The feast was almost at an end. The seventh day 
had begun. Hundreds of magnificently attired offi- 
cers reclining upon couches of silver and gold were 
freely drinking the exhilarating wine of Ileshbon. 
Songs to Ilaoma, the god of wine, were sung, boasts of 
martial deeds and of prowess in the chase were freely 
spoken, governors spoke proudly of their provinces. 
The elders related reminiscences of the great men of 
an earlier day. The youths spoke of what they would 
do to outshine the fathers. At length they passed 
from the chase and war to the objects of their love. 
With brains heated by the wine they boasted of the 
beauty and brilliancy of their wives or concubines. 
From couch to couch, from cup to cup the rivalry 
ran until the most extravagant declarations were made 
and their feelings were stirred almost beyond control. 
The king had heartily entered into this strife of 
words until his spirit passed from jest to earnest, and 
in the most emphatic way he declared that no one in 
the kingdom possessed so beautiful a wife as did he. 

When the guests saw his manner and heard the 
tone in which he declared this they realized the dan- 
ger of rivalry and at once fully conceded the claim. 
But this did not satisfy him. Ilis noble mind was 
now fully under the power of wine. He determined 
to prove the fact before them all. Acting upon the 


110 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

impulse of the moment, he commanded his seven 
chamberlains to proceed to the queen’s palace and 
bring Yashti that she might show the nobles, generals, 
and distinguished guests her beauty, that henceforth 
all the world should say, not from loyalty, but from 
the persuasion of sight, that Yashti was the most 
beautiful of women. 

‘‘ The spectacle which the seven chamberlains be- 
held as they entered the presence of the queen was 
more captivating than tliat surrounding the king. 
Her palace was resplendent with the richest colorings 
and most graceful decorations possible for woman to 
unite in combination. Hundreds of ladies distin- 
guished for their rank and beauty graced the spacious 
court, their beauty enhanced by the richness of 
their dresses, in wdiich the skill of hundreds of rival 
chamberlains was exhibited. 

‘‘ Tlie ladies wore dresses of tlie finest needle-work 
in tlie richest colors, while their arms, shoulders, 
necks, and heads glittered with showers of costly 
gems. They wore bands, fillets, and rings of gold 
set with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, pearls, emer- 
alds, topazes, lapis-lazuli, and turquois. Upon many 
flashed strange and unknown gems so rare that no one 
knew their native place, and so beautiful as to make 
their owners to bo envied by all the others. 

“ As the chamberlains beheld the scene, as beauti- 
ful as a wizard’s enchantment, they thought only a 
woman with the taste and wealth of Yashti could pro- 


VASHTI DETHRONED. 


Ill 


diice sucli a scene, and only a inonarcli with the world 
at his feet could gather the material for it. 

“ The atmosphere of the palace was burdened with 
richest odors. Softest strains of music arose from the 
most delicate of instruments played upon by scores of 
trained concubines, while the sound of thousands of 
little bells on the arms and ankles of the dancers kept 
time in tinkling with the measured step and the melo- 
dious strain. 

“When the chamberlains were announced the 
queen with her usual cheerfulness and grace received 
them. They were the messengers of the king, and 
they had always brought gladness in their coming. 
But when they communicated the king’s commands 
that the queen should come before his guests and 
exhibit her beauty they were all shocked wuth the 
vulgarity of the thought and the impossibility of com- 
pliance. The queen proudly drew her form to its 
noblest height, and with eyes flashing anger and 
voice full of indignation curtly answered, ‘ I will not 
obey the command of the king ; I will not stand be- 
fore the men gathered in the king’s palace.’ 

“ The beautiful harmony of the festival was broken. 
The ladies knew that the queen’s refusal would pro- 
duce confusion, for no one dared oppose the com- 
mand of the king. Yet no one wanted to see her 
deofraded to the level of a concubine. With firm 
tones she declai’ed that she w'as queen and would 
rather die than lower her self-respect. 


112 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

“Frightened and sorrowful her ladies gathered 
about her. The music and dancing ceased, the concu- 
bines carrying trays with cups of wine returned them 
untasted. The queen witli haughty demeanor with- 
drew to her private apartments, and the joyous festi- 
val went down beneath a cloud. 

“ Tlie seven chamberlains returned to tlie king witli 
the answer of the queen. Their leader trembled 
as he delivered the words to the king, who received 
tliem in silent amazement. It seemed impossible that 
the king over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, 
whose word was life or death to even the mightiest 
of his nobles, who was worshiped by his people as a 
god, who was supposed to be incapable of making a 
mistake, should be defied in his own palace before his 
nobles and generals by a woman. His cheeks grew 
pale with anger as he reflected on the effect this might 
have on his people in their obedience to him. 

“ By his side at the feast reclined the aged father 
of the queen ; before him stood her brothers, whom 
he honored with distinguished commands; at his 
footstool were his three sons and hers;' around him 
were the nobles of the realm who adored her. He ut- 
tered one sentence which immediately recalled them 
to loyal obedience, ‘ I am king.’ He determined not 
to act ill haste. Calling his seven counselors to fol- 
low him, he retired into his council-chamber to de- 
liberate with them as to the proper course to pursue. 
Meanwhile the guests continued their drinking. 


VASHTI DETHRONED. 


113 


“ Carsliena, Shetliar, Admatlm, Tarsliisli, Meres, 
Marsena,and Memucan, tlie seven princes of Persia and 
Media, accompanied the king to his council-chamber. 
When they were seated, and the eunuchs had supplied 
them with wine, the king said, ‘ What shall we do unto 
the queen, Yashti, according to law, because she hatli 
not performed the commandment of the king, Alias- 
uerus, by the chamberlains V For a few moments all 
sat in silence. So important and unusual a compli- 
cation had never been known to them. They realized 
that their answers might disrupt the kingdom, for no 
family was more powerful than that of the queen. 
Yet the question could not be laid aside without judg- 
ment, because it affected the integrity of the king’s 
rule. At length Memucan, the chairman of the 
council, replied: ‘Yashti, the queen,* hath not done 
wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes 
and to all the people that are in all the provinces of 
the king, Ahasuerus ; for this deed of the queen 
shall come abroad unto all women, so that they 
shall despise their husbands in their eyes when it 
shall be reported the king, Ahasuerus, commanded 
Yashti, the queen, to be brought in before him, but 
she came not. Likewise shall the ladies of Persia 
and Media say this day unto all the king’s princes 
which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus 
shall there arise too much contempt and wrath. If 
it please the king, let there go a royal commandment 
from him, and let it be written among the laws of the 
8 


114 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

Persians and the Medes, tliat it be not altered, that 
Vashti come no more before King Ahasuerus ; and 
let the king give her royal estate unto another that is 
better than she. And when the king’s decree which 
he shall make shall be published tlironghout all his em- 
pire — for it is great — all the wives shall give to their 
husbands honor, both to great and small.’ 

“The ingenious turn given to the matter by the 
artful Memucan pleased the king and the counselors, 
and they knew it would likewise receive the appro- 
bation of all men throughout the kingdom. The royal 
scribes were called, and they recorded the decree which 
the king pronounced. The queen was dethroned, 
her possessions as queen were taken from her, an- 
other palace significant of her fallen state was given 
her, and the royal couriers every-where throughout 
the kingdom published the edict in the language of 
every tribe and nation in the kingdom, that women 
should recognize their inferiority and that every man 
should bear rule in his own house. Thus the queen 
was no longer to be Yashti, the king’s beautiful one, 
but only Amestris, the daughter of Otanes. 

“The royal feast ended in gloom. The monarch 
of the greatest kingdom on earth awakened from 
festive intoxication and beheld the ruin of his hap- 
piness. He had the decree recorded as irreversible. 
For him to alter it would be to deny his infallibility. 
This he could do ; he had the power, but the conse- 
quences upon the faith of the people in his unerring 


VASHTI DETHRONED. 


115 


judgment would be disastrous. It was fixed ; Aines- 
tris could be queen no longer. Xerxes loved Aines- 
tris. lie was proud of the gifts of mind and beauty 
of person slie possessed ; she had nobly sustained the 
glory of his throne ; she was the mother of his sons ; 
but now, although she still lived, he could not enjoy 
her companionship. King over millions of people, he 
found the limitation of his power reached by a decree 
made while in a state of intoxication, under a fit of 
false pride. The social life of tlie Persian court was 
one of the most prominent features of the kingdom. 
It was necessary, to give it proper tone and order, that 
it should be presided over by the queen. Hence the 
dethronement of Amestris demanded the elevation of 
another to that position. The rule of the kingdom 
was that the king should choose his queen from the 
families of the conspirators. But there were no mar- 
riageable maidens in these families at this time.* 

“ The chamberlains observed the growing uneasiness 
of the king, and to cliarin away his sadness suggested, 
‘ Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king : 
and let the king appoint ofiicers in all the provinces of 
his kingdom, that they may gather together all the 
fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the 
house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the 
king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women ; and let 
their things for purification be given them : and let 

* A supposition to account for the selection of one outside these 
families. 


116 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead 
of Yashti.’ * 

This pleased the king. He appointed the officers 
to select the maidens, and commanded Hege concern- 
ing their care. While this was being done he departed 
with his body-guard of Immortals and his attending 
noblemen to meet his army at Critalla, its first ren- 
dezvous.” 

There was silence for a few moments after Morde- 
cai ceased speaking. The conduct of Xerxes in this 
affair, so different from the noble spirit he usually 
manifested, astonished the listeners. 

The silence was broken by Xehemiah, who said : 

I would not have you think all nobility had de- 
parted from the mind of the king. I have often pon- 
dered the archives of tlie kingdom narrating the con- 
versation between Xerxes and Artabanus when the 
army was encamped at Abydos. I am thrilled with 
admiration of the wisdom of Artabanus, and also the 
true nobility of the king. Xow, if you will give at- 
tention for a while, I wdll relate to you this discourse 
showing the greatness of their characters. As a pre- 
lude I wdll describe the manner in which the army 
marched to Abydos.” 

The interest of the young men was unflagging, and, 
smiling at their eager expressions, Xehemiah spoke as 
follows. 

* Esth. ii, 3. 


XERXES AND ARTABANUS. 


117 


CHAPTER XL 

XERXES AND ARTABANUS. 

march of the king and his guards along 
1 the great thoroughfare of nations was like the 
moving of a great city. Accompanying the king, the 
nobles, and the ten thousand Immortals were their 
households of servants and concubines, with stores of 
wealth, spacious tents, chariots, sedan carriages, and 
every convenience to prevent them from suffering 
fatigue or want. 

‘‘At Critalla the king was received by the army 
drawn up in parade, and for the first time he saw what 
an extensive host it was. The hearts of all beat 
quickly at this showing of strength, and yet this was 
only that part of his army from the more eastern 
nations. 

“ From Critalla the king proceeded to Sardis, the 
satrapal city of western Asia and the base of sup- 
plies for his army. Here he proposed to establish 
his temporary court. From this city he sent messen- 
gers to the neighboring nations to demand the tribute 
of earth and water, to all except Athens and Lacedse- 
monia. From these he would accept neither tribute 
nor peace; he was determined to punish them by in- 
vasion, sword, and flame. lie had come for this pur- 


ns THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

pose, and it should be carried out to the farthest point 
of their territories. 

“ lie arranged his army in three divisions, by 
which they should move forward to Abydos, where 
lie purposed reviewing his entire armament. The 
division to march by line of sea-shore, following 
the fleet, w^as commanded by his uncle and brother- 
in-law, Mardonius, and his full brother Masistes ; 
the division taking the inland route was commanded 
by Gergis, the son of Arizus, and Tritontsechmes, the 
son of Artabanus ; the division marching between 
these other divisions, and the one which the king ac- 
companied, was commanded by Smerdomenes, the 
brother of Amestris, and Megabyzus, son of Zopyrus, 
the king’s favorite general. 

“ Of this division the order of march was as follows : 
The baggage-bearers and beasts of burden first led the 
way; after them came a host of all nations promis- 
cuously, not distinguished ; after more than one half 
the army had passed an interval was left, that they 
might not mix with the king’s troops. Before him a 
thousand horsemen led the van, chosen from among 
all the Persians ; and next to them a thousand spear- 
men, these also chosen from among all, carrying their 
lances turned downward to the earth. After these 
came ten sacred horses, called Nissean, gorgeously 
caparisoned. These were large horses from the 
Medic plain hlisaea. Behind these ten horses was 
placed the sacred chariot of Jupiter, drawn by eight 


XERXES AND ARTABANUS. 


119 


white horses ; behind the horses followed a charioteer 
on foot holding the reins, because no mortal ever as- 
cends this seat. Behind this came Xerxes himself on 
a chariot drawn by Xissean horses, and a charioteer 
walked at his side, wdiose name was Patiramphes, son 
of Otanes, a Persian, and brother of Amestris. In 
this manner, then, Xerxes marched out of Sardis, and 
whenever he thought right he used to pass from the 
chariot to a covered carriage. Behind him marched 
a thousand spearmen, the bravest and most noble of 
the Persians, carrying their spears in the usual man- 
ner, and after them another body of a thousand horse, 
chosen from among the Persians. After the cavalry 
came ten thousand men chosen from the rest of the 
Persians; these were infantry; and of tliese one 
thousand had golden pomegranates on their spears 
instead of their ferrules, and tliey inclosed the others 
all round ; but the nine thousand being within them 
had silver pomegranates. Those also that carried 
their spears turned to the earth had golden pome- 
granates, and those that followed nearest to Xerxes 
had golden apples. Behind the ten thousand foot 
were placed ten thousand Persian cavalry ; and after 
the cavalry was left an interval of two stades, and 
then the rest of the throng followed promiscuously.* 
“The territory through which the Persian army 
marched was inhabited by bold, brave people, allied 
in race and customs to those whom Xerxes came to 

* Herodotus, p. 426, quoted. 


120 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

punish. The vastness of the military parade aroused 
their apprehensions, for what people could resist so 
great a host ? 

“ This same territory in past ages had been the 
scene of many terrible conflicts. The great poet 
Homer had celebrated one of these, the siege of Troy, 
by a series of thrilling poems which had been recited 
so often by minstrel and bard that the Greeks could 
not forget the ancient glory of their race. From these 
poems the Greeks pointed to an antiquity superior to 
that of the Persians, who had no literature to stir the 
hearts of their warriors. 

‘‘ The Greeks gloried in their simplicity, while the 
Persians paraded their luxury, and although some of 
the Greeks were ready to fall down and worship the 
Persian king as a god the determination to resist 
him unto death grew stronger with the majority. 

“ At Abydos the engineers of the Persian host had 
constructed bridges over the Hellespont at a point 
where it was more than a mile in width, through wdiich 
channel a swift current rushed toward the south-west. 
There were two bridges, one constructed by the 
Phenicians with white flax, the other by the Egyptians 
with papyrus. 

“But the bridges were hardly flnished when a 
severe storm swept over the seas, and the waters rising 
in great fury broke the bridges in pieces and scattered 
the fragments so completely that they could not be 
gathered again. 


XERXES AND ARTABANUS. 


121 


“ When Xerxes heard of it lie commanded those 
who had constructed the bridges to be put to death 
for doing such flimsy work, and that the Hellespont 
be stricken with three hundred lashes of a scourge 
and a pair of fettei-s be cast into the water. He then 
commanded others to build bridges, who, knowing 
they would be put to death if they failed, succeeded 
in doing so satisfactoiily. 

“ They connected togetlier large ships, penteconters 
and triremes, placed obliquely in the current, and 
anchored these with long anchors on each side to re- 
sist the winds from whatever direction they might 
blow. Then they stretched cables made of two strands 
of flax and four strands of papyrus from one shore to 
the other, crossing the decks of the six hundred and 
seventy-four anchored vessels. They covered these 
cables with logs sawn in half lengthwise, and over 
this placed brushwood and on top of all earth, with 
a fence on each side to protect the host from falling 
into the water. 

“ When Xerxes came to Abydoshe ascended to the 
top of the hill overlooking the plain, the sea, and the 
strait, and seated himself upon a lofty throne of white 
marble which had been built for this purpose. Hav- 
ing never seen a combat of ships, he directed that a 
contest be waged, with which he was greatly pleased. 
As he gazed upon the twelve hundred ships and the 
millions of men before him he flrst felt the pride of 
a great ruler, then burst into tears. 


122 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

“ Artabanus, watching liis changing moods, said to 
liiin as he was shedding tears : ‘ O king, how very dif- 
ferent from each other are what you are now doing 
and what you did a little while ago, for, having pro- 
nounced yourself happy, now you weej) ! ’ * 

‘•Xerxes answered, ‘Commiseration seized me 
when I considered how brief all human life is, since 
of these, numerous as they are, not one shall survive 
to the hundredth year.’ 

“ Artabanus replied : ‘ We suffer during life other 
things more pitiable than this ; for in this so brief life 
tliere is not one, either of these or of others, born so 
happy that it will not occur to him, not only once, but 
oftentimes, to wish rather to die than to live; for 
calamities befalling him, and diseases disturbing him, 
make life, though really short, appear to be long ; so 
that death, life being burdensome, becomes the most 
desirable refuge for man, and the deity having given 
us to taste of sweet existence is found to be jealous 
of his gift.’ 

“ AVhile his counselor was tlius speaking the king, 
gazing upon his wonderful army, thought of tlie scene 
in his palace in Susa, and said : Artabanus, of human 
life, which is sucli as you have ascribed it, let us say 
no more, nor let us call evils to mind, now that we 
have good things before us. But tell me this : if the 
vision of the dream had not appeared so clearly would 
you have retained your former opinion and dissuaded 
* Herodotus, vii, 46. 


XERXES AXD ART AB ANUS. 


123 


me from making war against Greece, or would you 
Lave changed your opinion ? Come, tell me this ex- 
plicitly.’ 

‘‘AVith fearless frankness Artabanus replied: ‘O 
king, may the vision of the dream that appeared ter- 
minate as we both desire ; but I am still full of alarm, 
and not master of myself, when I consider many other 
circumstances, and, moreover, perceive two things of 
the greatest importance most hostile to you.’ 

“ Xerxes was startled from his reverie by this plain 
declaration, and answered : ‘ Strange man ! AVhat are 
these two things which you say are most hostile to 
me ? AYhether do you find fault with the land army on 
account of numbers, and do you think that the Gre- 
cian army will be much more numerous than ours, or 
that our navy will fall short of theirs ? or both these 
together ? for, if we think our forces deficient in this 
respect, we can quickly assemble another army.’ 

“ But Artabanus, smiling at the boast so proudly 
uttered by the king, replied : ‘ O king, no man of 
common understanding can find fault either with this 
army or the number of ships. But even if you should 
muster more the two things which I mean would be- 
come still more hostile. These two things are land 
and sea ; for, as I conjecture, there is nowhere any 
harbor of the sea so large as to be capable in case a 
storm should arise of receiving this your navy and 
sheltering the ships. And yet there is need not only 
lhat there be one such harbor, but others along the 


124 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

whole continent by which you are about to coast. Since 
there are not harbors sufficiently capacious, remember 
that accidents rule men, not men accidents. One of the 
two things having thus been mentioned, I now proceed 
to mention the other. The land will be hostile to you 
in this way : if nothing else should stand in your way 
it will become more hostile to you the farther you ad- 
vance, as you are continually drawn on unawares, for 
men are never satiated with success ; and even if I 
should grant that no one will oppose you I say that 
the country, becoming more extensive in process of 
time, will produce a famine. A man would therefore 
thus prove himself most wise if in deliberation he 
should be apprehensive and consider himself likely 
to suffer every misfortune, but in action should be 
bold.’ 

Xerxes seemed to be a little annoyed by this 
prophet of evil, and he answered, sajdng : ‘ Artabanus, 
you have discussed each of these particulars plausibly ; 
but do not fear every thing nor 'weigh every circum- 
stance with equal strictness. For if in every matter 
that is proposed you should weigh every circumstance 
wdth equal strictness you would never do any thing 
at all. It is better, being confident on all occasions, to 
suffer half the evils than, fearing every thing before- 
hand, never suffer any thing at all ; but if you oppose 
every thing that is proposed and do not advance 
something certain you must fail in your plans equally 
with the person wdio has given a contrary opinion. 


XERXES AND ARTABANUS. 


125 


This therefore comes to the same. Can any one who 
is a man know for a certainty what ought to be done ? 
I think certainly not. To those, however, who are 
ready to act, gain for the most part is wont to accrue ; 
but to those who weigh every thing and are timid it 
seldom does. You see to what a degree of power the 
empire of the Persians has advanced. If, then, they 
who were kings before me had entertained such as 
you do, or, not entertaining such opinions, had sucli 
counselors, you would never liave seen their power 
advanced to this pitch. But now, by hazarding dan- 
gers, they carried it to this height ; for great under- 
takings are wont to be accomplished at great hazards. 
We, therefore, emulating them, set out at the most 
favorable season of the year, and, having subdued all 
Europe, will return home without having met witli 
famine anywhere or suffered any other reverse ; for, in 
the first place, we march, carrying with us abundant 
provision, and, in the next place, whatever land or 
nation we invade, we shall have their corn ; and we 
are making war on men who are husbandmen, and 
not feeders of cattle.’ 

Artabanus could not return the smile of satisfac- 
tion which now appeared on the king’s face, nor could 
he share the confidence held by the other courtiers 
surrounding the throne. In a short time he was to 
return to Susa, to take charge of the kingdom until 
the king’s return, and he realized that what counsel 
he failed to give now he could never give. After 


126 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

waiting a few moments in deep meditation he looked 
into the eyes of the king, who was observing him, and 
said: ‘O king, since you will not allow us to fear 
any thing, yet hearken to my advice ; for it is neces- 
sary, when speaking on many topics, to extend one’s 
discourse. Cyrus, son of Cambyses, subdued all Ionia 
except the Athenians, so as to be tributary to the 
Persians. I advise you, therefore, on no account to 
lead these men against their fathers ; for even without 
them we are able to get the better of our enemies ; 
for if they accompany you they must either be most 
unjust in assisting to enslave their mother-city or 
most just in endeavoring to maintain its freedom. 
I^ow, if they should be most unjust they will not add 
any great gain to us; but if just they are able to 
damage your army to a great degree. Consider, there- 
fore, on this ancient saying, since it has been well said 
that the termination is not always evident at the be- 
ginning.’ 

Xerxes was evidently tired of advice, but, with re- 
spect for his aged counselor, kindly said : ‘ Artabanus, 
of all the opinions you have given you are deceived 
most in this, in fearing lest the lonians should desert 
us, of whom we have the strongest proofs, and of 
whom you are a witness, as well as all the rest who 
accompanied Darius in his expedition against the 
Scythians, that the whole Persian army was in their 
power to destroy or to save; yet they evinced justice 
and fidelity and committed nothing ungrateful. Be- 


XERXES AND ARTABANUS. 


127 


sides tliis, since they Lave left tlieir children and 
wives and possessions in our territories, we must not 
expect tliat they will form any new design. Do not, 
therefore, fear this, but be of good courage, and pre- 
serve my house and my government ; for to you alone, 
of all men, I intrust my scepter.’ 

Artabanus, knowing the kindliness of the heart 
of the king, with tears dropping from his eyes knelt 
at the foot of the throne and gave his last act of loyal 
reverence, then, rising, departed, to begin his journey 
home to Susa as the recent of the kingdom. 

O O 

“ After his departure Xerxes called the generals, 
counselors, and courtiers close to his lofty marble 
throne and said to them : ‘ O Persians, I have called 
you together to desire this of you, that you would ac- 
quit yourselves like brave men, and not disgrace the 
former exploits of the Persians, which are great and 
memorable ; but let each and all of us together show 
our zeal, for this which we are endeavoring to accom- 
plish is a good common to all. On this account, then, 
I call on you to apply yourselves earnestly to the war, 
for, as I am informed, we are marching against brave 
men, and if we conquer them no other army in the 
world will dare to oppose us. Xow, then, let us cross 
over, having first offered iqa prayers to the gods who 
protect the Persian territory.’ 

Dismissing them, the king returned to his tent and 
the officers hastened to their commands to cross the 
bridges, beginning early on the following morning.” 


128 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

ITeliemiali now paused, and seeing lie was wearied 
we expressed our appreciation of the noble frankness 
of Artabanus and the equally noble tenderness of the 
king. We were greatly surprised at the clear com- 
prehension of the affair which Artabanus possessed. 
Xerxes should have been very fortunate with such a 
counselor. As we were very desirous to hear more 
Xehemiah requested Atarah to tajje up the narrative 
and tell us of the Persians in Europe, foi; he had been 
an eye-witness of many of these events while attend- 
ing Megabyzus, and could tell the story more accu- 
rately than one who had only known of it from the 
state records. W e all turned toward Atarah, and he, 
moved by Xehemiah’s request and our solicitations, 
smiled upon us, and then told us the story as follows. 


CROSSING THE HELLESPONT. 


129 


CHAPTER XII. 


CROSSING THE HELLESPONT. 

EFORE the sun rose on the following morn 



ing Xerxes and liis nobles were ready to 


observe the ceremonies appropriate to crossing the 
bridge. 

While waiting to see the first rays of the sun glide 
along the bridges some burned all sorts of perfumes 
at regular stations on the bridges. These perfumes 
were not only the choicest of Arabia, but also such as 
had been gathered in the most flowery vales of Persia 
to be burned on the altars of their faith. Others 
strewed the road along which the army must pass 
with branches of myrtle. 

When the sun first cast his beams upon them 
Xerxes, standing on the bridge, poured a libation into 
the sea from a golden cup. Then he offered a prayer 
to the sun, that he might be 'kept from accident and 
be able to subdue Europe, even to its utmost bound- 
aries. When he had completed his prayer he gave 
as an offering to the sun and the sea the cup out of 
which he had poured the libation, a golden bowl, and 
the short, straight Persian dagger which he had worn 
on his right side. He dropped these into the sea where 
the waves were sparkling in the embrace of the rays 


9 


130 THRILLLXG SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

of the sun. After these ceremonies were tinished 
the crossing began, the soldiers crossing on the north- 
ern bridge and the beasts of burden and attendants on 
the lower bridge. 

“ The first of the host to step into Europe were 
tlie ten thousand Persians led by Ilydarnes, every one 
of tliern wearing a crown. The crossing of the con- 
tingents from various nations consumed the remainder 
of the day. The first to cross on the following morning 
were the cavalry and the lancers, who carried their 
lances downw^ard. Every one of these wore crowns. 
They were followed by the sacred horses and the 
sacred chariot. Then Xerxes crossed, riding in his 
gold-embossed chariot, drawn by matchless Nissean 
horses, pure white in color, each horse held at the bit 
by a eunuch brilliantly dressed. Xerxes was himself 
a magnificently appearing man. There was no one in 
all the five millions of people that contributed to his 
glory superior to him in stature or in noble bearing, 
and he was decorated with splendid raiment and 
jew^els to such a degree that as he passed from the 
bridge upon the soil of Europe a distinguished citizen 
of that country beholding him cried out in rapture, 
‘ O Jupiter, why, assuming the form of a Persian, 
and taking the name of Xerxes, do you wish to sub- 
vert Greece, bringing all mankind with you, since 
without them it was in your power to do this ? ’ 

“ Xerxes was followed by a great host of men car- 
rying spears, then by a thousand horsemen. Then 


CROSSING THE HELLESPONT. 


131 


tlie rest of the army crossed over, and as the last bat- 
talion stepped from the bridge the ships which had 
anchored by the shore of Asia hoisted their anchors 
and were rowed to the European shore. 

‘‘ The hearts of all were filled with pride. It was 
a magnificent display of the glory of their kingdom, 
and not one was apprehensive of evil results to their 
invasion. With shoutings and rejoicings they left 
the borders of Asia and marched deeper into the hos- 
tile unknown continent, trusting in their great num- 
bers and in the glory of their leader. Over the same 
route they were now passing Darius had passed years 
before with his invincible army. As all nations were 
then afraid to meet his host why should this greater 
host anticipate other than victory ? 

“ The course of the Persian army into Europe was 
like a stream of desolation sweeping through the land. 
Every-where men were impoverished to furnish food 
for it, and streams of water were made dry by the 
thirst of men and beasts. Xerxes showed great inter- 
est in local customs and traditions, and delighted in 
conversing with men who could show him the most 
celebrated spots and tell him the most about the coun- 
try or the people whom they were meeting. 

“ All along their march the people were compelled 
to join the army, and thus as it advanced it became 
the greater in numbers. Xowhere had they met op- 
position and nowhere were they threatened with it 
until they passed through the Thessalian country and 


132 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


approached the narrow pass of Thermopylae. Their 
ships had sailed from Therme to the island of Scia- 
thos, near Magnesia. In the meantime the Greeks 
were engaged in various places in offering sacrifices 
and prayers to the gods of storm and wind to help 
them in their peril. 

“ The magnificent fleet of ships subject to the Per- 
sians was proudly riding on the waves off Magnesia 
when a furious storm broke upon them. The storm 
raged in fury for four days, threatening the annihila- 
tion of every thing on tlie bosom of the sea. Many 
of the ships drawn up on tlie shore were able to resist 
the storm ; many others were driven upon rocks, 
broken by the billows, shattered by tlie wind, and torn 
to pieces by the force of the elements combined. 
Of tlie whole fleet four hundred ships were destroyed, 
a large number of men were drowned, and a great 
fpiantity of treasures and immense stores of provi- 
sions were lost in the sea. The Persian magi were 
urged to their most violent religious exercises to allay 
the rage of the storm, which they attempted to do by 
sacrifices and incantations. 

In the meantime the army was marching through 
Thessaly, and having passed its borders encamped in 
the plain of Malis, north of a narrow mountain pass. 
This pass was the only one by which the Persian 
army could go from northern into southern Greece. 
On the western side was an inaccessible and precipi- 
tous mountain stretching to Mount (Eta ; on the east- 


CROSSING THE HELLESPONT. 


133 


ern side was an inaccessible morass, and next to tins 
the sea. In the pass itself were hot springs, which 
poured out vast streams, and over these stood an altar 
to Hercules. This pass was guarded bj Leonidas, the 
king of Sparta, and five thousand Greeks. There 
had been given an oracle from the Pjthia when the 
Spartans sent to her to know the issue of this war, as 
follows : ‘ To you, O inhabitants of spacious Lacedie- 
mon, either your vast, glorious cit}^ shall be destroyed 
by men sprung from Perseus, or, if not so, the con- 
fines of Lacedaemon mourn a king deceased of the 
race of Hercules. For neither shall the strength of 
bulls nor of lions withstand him with force opposed 
to force, for he has the strength of Jove, and I say 
he shall not be restrained before he has certainly ob- 
tained one of these for his share.’ 

“ This Leonidas believed to call for his own death to 
save his city, and what better place for a son of Her- 
cules to die than at the base of the altar of Hercu- 
les, at the gates of the land? At the same time this 
battle took place the Olympian games were in prog- 
ress. The victors in these games brought honor to 
their own names and to their native city. But in the 
game of w^ar Leonidas was playing, though defeated, 
he won more glory and gave more glory to his city 
than any who triumphed at Olympia. 

“ When Xerxes was informed that the Greeks were 
awaiting his arrival in this pass he had his throne 
erected where he could behold the battle, and sent 


3 34 THRILLING SCENP^S IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

the Medes and Cissians forward to take tlie Greeks 
alive and bring them into his presence. These valiant 
soldiers, commanded by Tigranes, one of the Achae- 
menidae, and Anaphes, son of Otanes, with their iron 
scale breastplates on, and carrying sliields and buck- 
lers for defense, and short spears, bows, and daggers 
for attack, moved forward impetuously as if to over- 
throw the Greeks at once by the fury of their charge. 
But the pass was narrow, in which only a few could 
tight at a time, and the long spears of the Greeks 
pierced the Persians before they could touch the 
Greeks ; and the Persians, although they fought hard 
all day, could effect nothing, and at length retired. 

“ Then the king sent against the Greeks his Immor- 
tals, the most famous of all Persian soldiers, com- 
manded by ITydarnes. These soldiers had never 
known what it was to be defeated, and now they ad- 
vanced confident of victory ; but they also failed to 
move the Greeks from the pass. 

“ Xerxes was astonished. Three different times he 
sprang from his throne trembling for the fate which 
seemed to be threatening his soldiers as he beheld 
with shame the defeat of his most noble generals and 
the soldiers who were the guardians of his throne. 

“At length treachery aided the Persians, and a 
path through the mountain cliffs was revealed to 
Xerxes. In the darkness of the night he sent the 
Immortals by this path over the mountain to attack 
from that side and drive the Greeks out of the pass. 


CROSSING THE HELLESPONT. 


135 


“ Leonidas heard of the treachery by which his de- 
feat was rendered certain. Sending away all the 
Greeks but his own three hundred Spartans and 
some Thebans, he prepared his followers to die. 
They carefully dressed their hair, burnished their 
armor, and arrayed themselves in all the splendor 
they could command. Leonidas put on his kingly 
robes and in all the majesty of his office approaclied 
the altar to offer sacrifices to the gods of Lacedaemon ; 
then he supped with the three hundred, who were 
also in their best attire, and after the feast rushed 
upon the Persians. 

“ Four times they pursued the fiying enemy, who 
still returned in greater numbers upon them. At 
length the Persians crowded resistlessly upon the 
pass. Behind the soldiers were the officers with 
whips and scourges, fiogging them to force them on, 
so that many were forced into the sea and drowned, 
many were trampled to death beneath the mass of 
armed soldiers pushed upon them, and others were 
pushed upon the exhausted three hundred. When 
the Persians approached from the rear side of the 
pass the Thebans cravenly surrendered, but the 
Spartans retreated to the narrowest part of the pass 
and in a compact body took their station on a 
mound. Here they fought until their javelins were 
broken, and Leonidas, their king, was slain. Then 
they fought with their hands and teeth. The Per- 
sians tried to capture the body of Leonidas. In this 


136 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM.’ 


effort two of the brothers of Xerxes were slain. 
Four times the Greeks recovered the body. At 
length the Persians won, but only after using swords, 
lances, daggers, and stones and missiles hurled down 
from the mountain heights until not a Spartan was 
left alive. In crushing the foe Xerxes lost many of 
his best men and learned how ferociously the Greeks 
could fight. 

‘‘ One of their poets * thus celebrates the glorious 
deed of the Spartans, for you know the Greeks in 
poetry preserve for futurity the goodness and bravery 
of their people : 

“ ‘ Of those who at Thermopyljje were slain, 

Glorious the doom and beautiful the lot ; 

Their tomb an altar ; men from tears refrain, 

To honor them, and praise, but mourn them not. 

Such sepulcher, nor drear decaj'-. 

Nor all-destro 3 nng time shall waste ; this right have they. 

Within their grave the home-bred glory 
Of Greece was laid ; this witness gives 

Leonidas, the Spartan, in whose story 
A wreath of famous virtue ever lives.’ 

“ At the same time this battle was beino: foujjht 
the ships of the various nations were also engaged in 
combat upon the sea near Artemisinin. In this battle 
the Persian allies were anxious to engage, thinking 
only of success, considering it madness for so few of 
the Greeks to be able to resist so mighty a fleet. Put 
the superior seamanship of the Greeks enabled them 
to be successful until night came on, when the scene 

* Simonides, quoted in Felton’s Lectures on Greece. 


CROSSING THE HELLESPONT. 


137 


became terrible beyond description, for a storm broke 
upon them, the thunder and lightning were terrific, 
and rain fell in torrents. Between the storm the 
Greeks beset the frightened allies of Persia, whose 
rowing was impeded by their oars becoming entan- 
gled witli pieces of wreck and dead bodies of the 
slain. At length both ])arties were glad to withdraw 
from the battle and seek new stations for carrying on 
the contest. 

‘^Having thus overwdielmed the forces of the 
Greeks which attempted to stand in his way, Xerxes 
pressed on toward Athens to fully accomplish his de- 
termifiation to burn it. The Greek vessels withdrew 
to Salamis, and here meditated flight, which, if they 
had done, would have been followed by the absolute 
ruin of the Greek states ; but Themistocles, the leader 
of the Athenians, saw the importance of a united 
stand by the Greek allies, and by pleading, by per- 
sonal influence upon the commander, and by strategy 
in having the enemy surround the straits, finally ac- 
complished his purpose and got every thing ready 
for the combat. 

“ Aristides, called the Just, who had been banished 
from Athens, offered his services to his former rival, 
and showed by his love for his people and the burial 
of his consciousness of ill-treatment that he was 
rightly called the Just. The Greek vessels w^ere 
filled with the soldiers who had fled before the Per- 
sians. At this time there were many among the 


138 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

Athenians whose names will no doubt become cele- 
brated throughout all time ; such were Pindar the 
poet, a Theban; ^schylus, the writer of dramas; 
Sophocles, who was only fifteen 3’ears old ; Cratinus, 
the comic poet ; Anaxagoras, tlie philosopher ; Phid- 
ias, tlie sculptor, who was only ten years old ; Peri- 
cles, who was also bat a youth; and on the very day 
of the battle Euripides, wdio did so much toward the 
reconstruction of Greek tragedy, was born. 

“ In four months from tlie time the Persians left 
Sardis they were in Athens. They found it bare of 
inhabitants, for its people had left homes and temples 
to risk the uncertain fortune of the sea. On the 
Acropolis, however, a few poor people and the guard- 
ians of the temple treasures had fortified themselves 
with planks and stakes, sujd posing this to be*in ac- 
cordance with an oracle. The Persians attempted to 
dislodge them bj^ shooting arrows wrapped around 
with tow and set on fire at their fence. Other Per- 
sians climbed up the rocks behind the gates, and, over- 
throwing the Greeks, set fire to the entire Acropolis. 
AVhen Xerxes saw the flames ascending he sent word 
by rapid couriers to Artabanus, telling the particulars 
of his glorious victory. Then Xerxes visited his 
ships, and, calling a council of all his admirals, asked 
their opinion of an engagement by sea with the 
Greeks. 

“ All the men favored giving battle, but one person 
advised against it, and this was a woman, who was 


CROSSING THE HELLESPONT. 


139 


both brave and wise. Artemisia was the widow of 
the king of Halicarnassus, and wliile her son was 
under age ruled the kingdom. She contributed five 
ships to the Persian equipment, and next to those of 
the Sidonians her ships were the most renowned. 
She had shown lier skill and bravery in every battle 
thus far, and at the king’s council her advice was re- 
ceived with great respect. Xerxes afterward said 
that as to this battle she was the oidy one wlio knew 
what ought to be done. So greatly was she hated by 
the Greeks that they offered a reward of ten thousand 
drachmas to the one who should succeed in taking her 
alive. The advice of Artemisia was overruled, and 
the battle was determined upon. 

“Xerxes had his throne erected where he could 
see the entire engagement. By his side were his sec- 
retaries, who recorded the name of the vessel and its 
commander when any deed of special prominence 
was accomplished by it. In this battle the Greeks, 
led by Themistocles, kept in good order, but the 
Persians were utterly witliout order. They proceeded 
to attack in their usual manner and fought with great 
vigor and courage ; but the king was amazed to see 
that notwithstanding this their vessels were being 
rapidly destroyed. Xerxes not only beheld the de- 
feat of his fieet but also the destruction of many of 
the illustrious men who had surrounded his throne, 
one of whom was his own brotlier, Ariobignes, the 
admiral of the Ionian and Carian forces. 


140 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

Xerxes was filled with dismay, and began prepara- 
tions for a rapid retreat. First of all he sent inessen- 
e:ers to Susa to inform Artabanus of his defeat, 
and then allowed Mardonius to select three hundred 
thousand men to remain in Greece and completely 
reduce it to servitude, which Mardonius desired and 
promised to do. lie then sent his children to Sardis 
in the care of his favorite eunuch, Ilermotimus, who 
was their guardian, and with them, to conduct them, 
Artemisia, whom he valued so greatly for her bravery 
in battle and wisdom in council. Hydarnes, the gen- 
eral of the Immortals, refused to leave the king, al- 
though the Immortals were to remain in Greece with 
Mardonius. Xerxes, with the rest of the army, then 
began the march back to the Hellespont, and in forty- 
five days reached Abydos. 

During this march his army dwindled to a mere 
fragment. Their provisions failed them, and they ate 
the bark and leaves of trees until they left nothing, 
stripping all like locusts. They were also attacked by 
pestilence and dysentery, by which multitudes were 
destroyed. At length, when they reached Abydos and 
found abundance of food, they ate immoderately, and 
many thousands died from this cause. 

The sixty thousand troops, the finest of the en- 
tire army, that, under the command of Artabazus, 
liad been the king’s escort and had escaped the 
calamities of the rest of the army, after seeing the 
king safely in Asia returned to Europe, and three 


CROSSING THE HELLESPONT. 


141 


months later attempted to cross a ford tliroiigli an arm 
of the sea. Wlien they had crossed two fifths of the 
way a flood-tide of the sea, such as had never before 
been seen, came on, and the most of them perished, some 
by drowning, others by enemies who, sailing upon them 
in boats, put them to death. But Xerxes, with many 
of his favorite generals about him, shorn of much of 
his splendor and of his army, arrived safely in Sardis. 

‘‘ Xow, if you are not wearied I will relate to you 
the closing of this terrible tragedy in Greece, which 
will remain an astonishment as long as the world 
stands.” 

Xo one was fatigued, and Atarah continued his 
narrative. 


142 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CHAPTER XIII. 


THE DESTRUCTION OP PERSIAN POWER IN EUROPE. 

ARDOXIUS marched his three hundred 



thousand soldiers into Thessaly and en- 


camped for the winter. In the spring he began his 
return march southward, and within ten months from 
the time Xerxes left Athens re-entered the city as its 
conqueror. The Athenians lied to Salainis, and the 
Persian proudly sent to his king in Sardis the account 
of his successes. 

“ Having burned Athens, he moved his army into the 
neighborhood of the city of Thebes, for the Thebans 
had become his allies. Along the banks of the river 
Asopus lie built a wooden fortification ten furlongs 
square, where he erected his standard in the midst of 
great magnificence. Here he stored vast quantities of 
gold, with which he sought to purchase men of prom- 
inence among the Greeks. 

Aristides, who had been named the J ust, com- 
manded the Athenian army. When the Spartans 
were apprehensive that the offers of the Persians 
might be accepted — for Mardonius had offered to re- 
build Athens and bestow large sums of money upon 
them if they would have no more to do with war — 
Aristides said that the people of Athens would not 


DESTRUCTION^ OF PERSIAN POWER IN EUROPE. 143 

take all the gold either above or under ground for the 
liberties of Greece. To the messengers from Mar- 
donius lie returned the answer, pointing to the sun, 
‘ As long as this luminary shines so long will the 
Athenians carry on war with the Persians, for their 
country which has been laid waste and for their tem- 
ples which have been profaned and burned.’ 

‘‘At length the armies met between the Asopus 
Piver and the Cithseron mountains, and the great battle 
was fought to decide the bondage or the freedom of 
Greece, and, more than this, whether in civilization the 
world w^ould step forward or backward. Mardonius 
sent forth his cavalry under the command of Masistius 
to try the courage of the Greeks. They were met by 
the Athenians and fiercely resisted. Masistius advanced 
in front of his squadrons clothed completely in golden 
scale armor, over which he wore a magnificent purple 
cloak. As he rode in front of his troops the fiercest 
assault was made upon him, but his armor protected 
him. They then wounded his horse, which, in its 
agony, reared -and plunged until it threw him to the 
ground. The Athenians seized the horse and en- 
deavored to conquer Masistius, but with the greatest 
bravery he fought them while lying on the ground, 
and was only overcome when one of the Athenians 
pierced him through the eye, which alone was not 
covered by armor. 

“The Persians fought desperately to recover his 
body, but were unable to do so, and were repulsed. 


144 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

When the death of Masistius was announced in the 
camp the greatest signs of mourning were manifested. 
Tlie Persians cut their hair and the manes and tails 
of their horses and beasts of burden, for the loss of 
Masistius could only have been exceeded by the death 
of Mardonius himself. , So great was he in stature 
and beauty that the Greeks exhibited the body before 
their hosts and wondered at his superiority. 

“ For several days the Persians continued their 
mourning, and then followed the Greeks down to 
Plataea, where for several days the two armies faced 
each other, neither daring to offer battle until their 
sacrifices should indicate victory for them. 

“ At length the battle began. The Persians num- 
bered three hundred thousand of the best soldiers in 
their extensive kingdom. Mardonius had sought to 
prove their excellence by proposing to the Greeks 
that an equal number of Greeks and Persians, chosen 
men, meet and fight the battle, and the side that won 
should have the victory for the whole army ; but this 
brave offer the Greeks declined. 

There were a hundred and ten thousand Greeks. 
Of these thirty-eight thousand seven hundred were 
heavy-armed — they were the free citizens of Greece 
— and sixty-nine thousand five hundred were light- 
armed. These were the helots, or slaves, of the 
Greeks. Every Spartan was attended by seven slaves, 
and of the other Greeks each soldier was attended by 
one slave. The Persians were light-armed, and their 


DESTRUCTIOX OF PERSIAN POWER IN EUROPE. 145 

slaves were in the camp with the wealth and liouse- 
liolds of their masters. 

“ When the battle began the Persians made a fence 
of their osier bucklers, and from this protecting wall 
showered arrows on tlieir foes, but the Greeks ad- 
vanced and broke down this wall and came to a close 
contact with the Persians. Then the Persians seized 
the lances and spears of tlie Greeks bj their hands, 
and, each holding one end of the lance, fought with 
their swords by the other hand, until the Persians, ill- 
adapted for such close battling, were slaughtered 
where they so bravely stood. 

“ Mardonius, riding a white horse, was at the head 
of a thousand of the best Persian warriors, and pressed 
the Greeks with the greatest vigor, killing large num- 
bers, until a Spartan hurled a stone which struck him 
with such force as to break his skull. As he fell dead 
his followers were driven back, until, stricken with 
panic, they turned and retreated from the field. Of 
all the Persian host only three thousand escaped be- 
sides the forty thousand whom Artabazus led from 
the field, wdiile of the Greeks only thirteen hundred 
and sixty were slain in the battle. 

When the Persians reached their camp they again 
attempted to resist, but the Greeks slaughtered them 
and captured the entire camp. 

In the Persian camp were tents adorned with 
magnificent curtains, couches of gold and silver, hand- 
somely carved tables of gold and silver, chests filled 
lb 


146 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

with gold and silver, bowls, cups, caldrons, bracelets, 
necklaces, and cimeters of the same precious metals, 
mangers for their horses made of brass, and harness 
for their horses ornamented with gold and silver. 
Out of the quantity of treasures which remained after 
the .^ginetse had stolen as much as they could con- 
ceal one tenth was dedicated to the god at Delphi, 
and made into a golden tripod ; one tenth for the god 
at Olympia, and made into a brazen image of Jupi- 
ter ten cubits high ; and a tenth to the god at the 
Isthmus, and made into a brazen image of Keptune 
seven cubits high ; the remaining seven tenths were 
distidbuted among the conquerors, as were also the 
households of the Persians. 

‘‘ There were large numbers of the best horses the 
world produced, and camels from Arabia. Thousands 
of concubines who had accompanied the Immortals in 
their march were also captured. The sorrow at the 
loss of their protectors was, for the time, swallowed 
up by tlie terror of the foe who had captured them, 
and a life of magnificent luxury was exchanged for a 
life of toil and bondage. 

‘‘ The annihilation of the Persian power was com- 
plete when, the same day, at Mycale, in Ionia, the 
Persians were defeated. The great fleet of Persian 
allies had crossed the JEgean Sea. The Phenicians 
returned to their homes and the lonians rowed their 
vessels on the shore under the protection of a Persian 
army at Mycale, which was guarding Ionia. There 


DESTRUCTION OF PERSIAN POWER IN EUROPE. 147 

were sixty tlionsand soldiers in this army, and they 
were commanded by Tigranes, the general who sur- 
passed all the other Persians but Xerxes in beauty 
and stature. The ships were drawn up on the shore, 
and a rampart of stone and wood, protected by stakes 
driven in the ground, was placed about them. 

“ The Greeks coming against them formed their 
troops on the shore, then invited the allies of the Per- 
sians to treacherously desert them, and, to encourage 
their own and depress tlie Persians, represented that 
Mardonius was defeated in Greece, which was, indeed, 
the fact. The Persians, as usual, made a fence of 
their bucklers, and with this protection fought well, 
blit the Greeks, risking all in a desperate charge, 
broke tlirough this wall of bucklers, and, with the 
Persians in a mixed crowd, forced their way into the 
fortifications. Then the Greek allies of the Persians 
deserted, and, joining their fellow-Greeks, turned the 
tide of the battle. These lonians, as Artabanus had 
foreseen, were not loyal to Persia, but aided at the 
most critical moment in defeating the king. The 
greater part of the army was destroyed. Tigranes 
and Mardontes died fighting bravely. A few only 
escaped and carried the news to the king at Sardis. 

“ The Greeks captured a vast quantity of gold and 
silver and booty of various kinds, and, having burned 
the ships of the Persians, sailed away to destroy the 
Persian bridges across the Hellespont. But the 
storms that swept over that narrow channel had 


148 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

already broken the bridges, and when the army of 
Artabaziis arrived there the Avearied and hopeless 
soldiers were glad to cross in boats which w^ere wait- 
ing for them. 

‘‘ Thus in one day, at Platgea and at Mycale, the flower 
of the Persian army and navy perished, Mardonius 
paid for his rash counsel to the king by his life, and 
every part of the warning so faithfully given by 
Artabanus came to pass. The king had good advisers 
and also bad, but he made the mistake of follow- 
ing the bad. With the wreck of his army came the 
wreck of his own noble manhood. From this time on 
Xerxes was a different man. When he began the w^ar 
he believed the praises of his nobles and esteemed 
himself the mightiest of all men, but now he saw that 
numbers did not constitute greatness, and that he was 
not able to crush the foe that seemed so insignificant. 

‘‘ Two miles south of the river Ilermus, on a spur of 
the Tmolus mountain l ange, the city of Sardis had been 
built. It was on a spot rendered formidable by its 
natural advantages. It was in the midst of a wonder- 
fully fertile country, on the great highway of the 
nations leading from Susa to Abydos, and the center 
of commercial life in western Asia. This had been 
the capital of the Lydian kings, until Croesus, the rich- 
est of kings, was overcome by the Persians. It was 
burned by fire in an insurrection against Darius, but 
had risen from its ashes more beautiful and powerful 
than ever, and continued to be the Persian capital 


DESTRUCTION OF PERSIAN POWER IN EUROPE. 149 

for western Asia. The stream flowing near it bore 
in its current grains of gold. The rocks of the 
mountains above it were rich witli elegant specimens 
of the stone called sard, or sardius stone, valued for its 
deep red color, luster, and high polish. In the groves 
surrounding the walls of the city the famous fruit 
halanoi sardianoi, or chestnuts, were first grown, 
while in the marts of the city centered the Asiatic 
trade in wool, with great establishments for dyeing and 
manufacturing wool from the flocks of Phrygia. One 
of its manufactures was a woolen rug of such fine 
texture that it was reserved for the sole use of the 
monarch, being laid in the hall between the state 
apartments and gate of the palace. Here, too, as a re- 
sult of the wars between Persia and Greece, were 
established slave marts, in which luckless captives 
were sold, and whither the Persian nobles went to suit 
themselves with the daughters of Ionia as concu- 
bines. To this city Xerxes fled from the disaster 
overwhelming his army in Europe. 

“ He who from the heights above Abydos had be- 
held his magniflcent armament with such pride and 
confidence had lost that confidence and was now 
disheartened, for he had seen twenty thousand of his 
brave men die at Thermopylae, when only five thou- 
sand of the enemy fell, and his warriors who had 
boasted the loudest now lay groveling in the dust. 
Here amid the splendor of his court he awaited the 
fulfillment of the pledges by Mardonius, and anx- 


150 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

iolisly continued the communications between liis 
various armies and his court. From this place he 
sent to Mycale the army of sixty thousand men in 
charge of Masistes, his brother, and Tigranes tlie 
Achaemenidean. 

“ Of liis great generals two had been unable to dis- 
tinguish themselves in battle : Artachaees, one of the 
Achsemenidae, who was so tall that he lacked only four 
fingers of being five royal cubits in height and pos- 
sessed the loudest voice of any man in all Persia, died 
of fever at the Mount Athos canal ; and Pharnuchus, 
one of the three generals of the cavalry, who was 
slowly dying of consumption in Sardis. This great 
general was riding at the head of his division of cav- 
alry in all the gay and rich trappings of his high 
station when a dog ran under his horse, frightened 
it, and as it reared and plunged threw its rider, injur- 
ing him so severely by the fall that he wasted away 
in consumption. 

‘‘ Xerxes mourned the loss of these men more than 
the loss of many who died in battle. But as the 
couriers came to him and reported loss after loss and 
the death of so many distinguished generals he felt 
the more displeased with the conduct of his own 
trusted men. 

‘‘ The Persian generals as a rule had left their wives 
in Persia, and had brought with them their concu- 
bines. These they surrounded with great splendor, 
giving them elaborate equipages and numerous serv^- 


DESTRUCTION OF PERSIAN POWER IN EUROPE. 151 

ants, in order that those who went to the battle-field 
might still possess the luxury they were accustomed 
to at home. Those who were with the king at Sardis 
ostentatiously set up their establishments and reveled 
in sports, feasting, and social delights. 

“ The king, always honored above all others, was 
attended by his servants so carefully as to have at his 
hand whatever his soul craved, if within their power 
to supply it. The life, property, and virtue of even 
the greatest of his subjects was at his disposal, while 
to them his life and will were sacred. Several of his 
sons were in attendance upon him, with whom was 
the Ionian Queen Artemisia, who as a favorite subject 
held high rank. 

“ But no one in Sardis so deeply pleased his fancy 
as the wife of his brother Masistes, whom he tenderly 
loved. Masistes was at Mycale, and the king invited 
his wife to make his palace her home. She was a 
woman of the purest character, and not Avishing to 
give room for even the breatli of scandal declined the 
invitation, trusting in the generous spirit of the king 
to understand her motives. Then the king sent for 
her daughter, the beautiful Artaynte, to cheer him in 
his lonesomeness, and whom he married to his own 
son Darius. By this means he planned to have the 
companionship of Artaynte’s mother. 

“ The festivities and rejoicings of the social life in 
Sardis failed to give peace to the mind of the king. 
The repeated defeats of his best soldiers, the death 


152 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

of liis most lionored generals, liis brothers and inti- 
mate friends, the indisputable evidence of his being 
deceived as to the probable issue of the war, all 
preyed upon his mind to such an extent as to induce 
him to declare his intention of immediately returning 
to Susa. As soon as he spoke the word all the re- 
sources of the kingdom were brought into requisition 
to convey him, his court, and their households back to 
the imperial city. The homeward march was like the 
transportation of a city. It took from Sardis its life 
and beauty and left it merely the head-quarters of a 
provincial ruler. 

“ I have now taken you through the Greek war. 
The next part of the drama deals with social life. In 
that life Mordecai was an actor. He was brought 
into intimate relations with the most prominent char- 
acters, and understood the significance of the passing 
events more clearly, possibly, than any other man. I 
will leave the narration of those events to him, and 
in doing this I am sure I will merit your good will. 

“But, see, the day is declining. The people are 
beginning their home journeys from the feast. We 
will return to the city, and this day of the next week 
meet again and' hear the words of Mordecai.” 

This was agreeable to all. We at once descended 
the hill, and were glad to see the enthusiasm with 
which the people received among them these aged 
heroes of our nation. Cheer followed cheer as the 
venerable forms were recognized, and thus with glad- 


DESTRUCTION OF PERSIAN POWER IN EUROPE. 153 

ness the people went back to their homes throughout 
Israel rejoicing in the providence of God. We joined 
other groups of young men, and told them of the 
words we had listened to. When the appointed day 
came we again sat at the feet of the elders, when 
Mordecai told us the story of Yashti in the following 
words. 


154 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CHAPTER XIY. 

THE VENGEANCE OF VASHTI. 

\ \ I HEN Artabanus left the king at Abydos 
y y previous to the campaign in Europe he 
returned to Susa with grave apprehensions of disaster. 
The sublime spectacle of an assembly comprising 
millions of men subject to tlie commands of one 
man did not convince him that all hostile nations 
would be swept from before them. 

“ Artabanus saw that the various nations in this 
host were out of their element when out of their 
native land, and the first awful shock of battle would 
melt their courage and render them easy victims to 
their enemies. Among the nobler Persians the love 
of luxury and voluptuous delight in their seraglios 
completely destroyed that braver manhood needed 
in war with a desperate foe. 

“When Artabanus came to Susa he received a 
welcome suitable to the viceroy of their king, and in 
Shushan the entire court hastened to obey liis com- 
mands. There was much work for him to do, as a 
part of his office was to keep in order the internal 
affairs of the kingdom that the general prosperity 
should not be retarded by the vicissitudes affecting 
the army in Europe. The splendor of the home 


THE VEXGEANCE OF VASHTI. 


155 


government must be maintained and Sliuslian con- 
tinually glitter in costly displays. Tribute was to be 
gathered, the education of noble youths to be carefully 
continued, repairs to the king’s palaces to be com- 
pleted, and every thing to be kept in progress in order 
that the king on bis return might see the loyalty and 
prosperity of his kingdom. 

‘‘ Another matter seriously affecting the king's 
happiness, and for which he had given positive com- 
mand, was to be especially attended to and completed 
before his return. The fairest young virgins in all 
the provinces of the kingdom were to be sought out 
and brought to Shushan and placed in the care of 
liege, the king’s chamberlain, and be prepared by 
special attention to their food, habits, and culture to 
appear before the king, that from them he might 
choose one to occupy the place from which Amestris 
had been cast down. 

“The command received prompt attention from all 
the provincial officers. The ambition of ev^ry gov- 
ernor was excited and the greatest care was given to 
the search. It was well understood that the governor 
who should be so fortunate as to provide the king a 
queen would be entitled to the richest rewards the 
king could give, and an inffuence at court next to 
that of the king’s most intimate favorite. The great- 
est respect was shown to those selected for competi- 
tion. The official who failed in this would be risking 
liis future prosperity, for the one slighted might be- 


156 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


come queen, or at least an influential concubine at 
the court of the king. 

‘‘ Thus while the king was waging war in Europe 
the city of Susa was visited by distinguished men 
from the various provinces bringing, in luxurious lit- 
ters, with brilliant retinues, the most beautiful virgins 
in the kingdom. 

‘‘ Great crowds gathered in every available place 
to gaze upon these magnificent processions. But the 
litters Avere kept closed. No one but the king’s 
eunuchs having charge of the Avonien’s palace was 
permitted to behold the faces of the occupants. 

“ As officer in the gate of the king’s palace it was 
my duty to keep the record of all those brought to 
the court, while, as one of the king’s eunuchs, I was 
brought in familiar association with Hege, the guard- 
ian of the maidens. Thus, as one of the servants of 
the king, I beheld the features of all who came to 
enter the trial for the king’s favor. But I beheld no 
face so beautiful, no form so graceful, as that pos- 
sessed by the light of my own house, my cousin, Ha- 
dassah, the myrtle. 

“ Hadassah’s father was one of the most prominent 
Jews in Babylon. When he died he committed his 
daughter to my care. AYhen I came to the king’s 
service I brought my fair cousin with me, and in 
the inviolable privacy of my own home reared her 
in the faith and according to the customs of her 
fathers. To the Persians, who would have esteemed 


THE VENGEANCE OF VASHTL 


157 


lier beauty a prize to contend for, lier existence was 
not known. 

‘‘ As the maidens came from every province, and I 
saw tliat in all the courts of the king there was no 
one so beautiful as my cousin, the thought entered 
my mind that God had given her this great beauty to 
exalt, through her, his people and restore to them the 
glory of David and Solomon. Visions of prosperity 
crossed my mind, in which the Jews, gathered from 
all parts of the earth, returned to their promised land 
and Jerusalem became the capital city of the world 
and the throne of the Messiah. Filled with such 
thoughts, I determined to introduce my cousin to liege 
and leave the result to the providence of God. It 
was a solemn undertaking, for she would be elevated 
above all other women or be consigned to perpetual 
isolation from the world in the house of the king’s re- 
jected concubines. 

“ It w*as not difficult for me to convey her to the pal- 
ace of the women incognito. The ladies of the court 
were accustomed to travel in closed litters borne by 
rojM slaves. In one of these carriages she could pass 
from my house to the palace and no man know her 
identity. Personal friendship with liege promised to 
be an aid in the plan, for, as the favorite chamberlain 
of the king, liege held within his control the fate of 
the hundreds of females who dwelt beneath his charge. 

“ liege was a j udge of beauty. E very type of beauty 
and character in the entire kingdom was represented 


158 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


in liis palace. From India in the east to Egyi)t in the 
west, from the swarthy African to the white Cau- 
casian, all styles and all colors were dwelling in his 
palace. In exercising his supervision he learned their 
peculiarities of taste and disposition, and bestowed his 
favors where his aesthetic taste was gratified. He 
reigned over them with the power of an unlimited 
despot. Every favor they received was from his hands. 

“ These beautiful women were here for the king’s 
pleasure. Upon them he bestowed favor, gifts, and 
luxuries as his whims prompted. When he was 
merry they danced before him ; when weary, they 
softly sung to him ; when thoughtful, their conversed 
with him or disputed with each other before him ; 
when he sought pleasure, they obeyed his caprice 
with all the charms of their cultivated arts. From 
the moment they entered this palace their lives were 
consecrated to his service, but when he was wearied 
by them he sent them into the palace of Shaashgaz 
and forgot their existence. Such was the life of the 
royal concubines. 

“ I well knew of the risks attending this venture, for 
not only had white-skinned Caucasians from the 
mountains of the Horth, and brown-hued Arabians 
from the deserts of the South, been sent to Shaashgaz, 
but also graceful, brilliant maidens from Ionia and 
haughty beauties from Media and Persia. The king’s 
caprice seemed to be contrary to all rule ; no one could 
anticipate it. 


THE VENGEANCE OF VASHTI. 159 

“I trusted in God, who searched and, controlled 
the hearts of men, and in this trust bade Iladassah 
prepare for the trial. Clothing her in the richest 
garments she possessed, and decorating her with 
jewels such as added to the splendor of her appear- 
ance, I placed her in the litter, and, commending 
her to the God of her fathers, sent her forth on 
her mission. 

‘‘ When the eunuchs bearing the litter entered the 
palace Hege commanded them to place the carriage 
on the floor, draw aside the curtains, and assist the 
maiden to step forth. Then he bade her unveil her 
face, for she was secure from the gaze of all but him- 
self. When she modestly withdrew her veil he ex- 
pressed his admiration of her unusual beauty. The 
sweet purity of her expression, the artless simplicity 
of her manners, and the graceful pose of her person at 
once won his favor, and he saluted her with words of 
cordial friendliness. He did not send her to distant 
apartments and forget her existence for months, but 
immediately appointed seven maidens to wait upon 
her and obey her commands, and to see that she re- 
ceived every thing she needed to promote her comfort 
and happiness. 

“ Hege realized the necessity of having her ready to 
appear before the impulsive king as soon as he should 
be in a mood to be pleased. 

“ The preparation of her person, lovely as she was, 
would require, according to the law, an entire year. 


160 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

For six montlis the maidens must be daily perfumed 
with the oil of myrrh, then for an additional six 
months wdth sweet odors, such as the royal ointment, 
which consisted of cinnamon, spikenard, myrrh, cassia, 
gum styrax, saffron, cardanium, wdne, honey, and six- 
teen other ingredients. 

liege w^as in no hurry to prepare some of the 
maidens for this purification, but he show’ed his 
friendliness toward Hadassah by sending to her at 
once the essential unguents for her daily bath and 
perfuming. As reports of the king’s coming spread 
through the palace the maidens gave the greater dili- 
gence to bring themselves into the most perfect con- 
dition of w’oinanhood. 

“ While this was being attended to in the court of 
the women’s palace Amestris, the deposed queen, was 
continuing her career of splendor in the palace devoted 
to her use. The king had given no commands re- 
specting the manner in which she should be treated, 
and w’ithout command no officer of the court would 
dare to circumscribe her magnificence or her authority. 
She seemed to have laid aside her anger and wdth 
longing expectation aw^aited the return of the king. 
To show her daily interest in his welfare she wove 
with her own fair, tender hands a mantle of many col- 
ors, so beautiful that it aroused the admiration of all 
the ladies of her palace. Month after month she 
labored upon it to make it so attractive as to be worthy 
of a place upon the king’s broad shoulders. 


THE YEXGEAXCE OF VASHTI. 


161 


“While the maidens were being made ready for 
the king and Amestris was weaving the mantle the 
slangliter of the king’s army was drenching Attica 
'with blood. Messengers came to Artabanus announc- 
ing that Xerxes had entered Athens in triumph. 
Such news was the signal for a period of feasting 
and brilliant receptions. The various palaces were 
ablaze with glory, and the rejoicings of all the people 
were unrestrained. Brilliant banquets illuminated 
tlie palaces of Amestris and the wives of the king’s 
generals; processions crowded the streets; the roads 
were strewn with myrtle ; immense quantities of per- 
fumes were burned until the atmosphere was laden 
with sweetest odors, and the whole city was tilled with 
rejoicings. 

“ Then came the second file of couriers giving the 
particulars of the battles. Abrocomes and Ilypcran- 
tlies had fallen at Thermopylae, Ariobigncs at Salamis, 
Masistius and Mardonius at Platsea, Mardontes and 
Tigranes at Mycale. Xame after name of brilliant 
officers and, proud nobles was reported as having 
fallen — some in battle on the land, others had gone 
down into the depths of the sea amid the 'wreck of 
the vessels upon which they were fighting. But there 
was this comfort : in all the host of Persian nobles no 
one had shown fear of the enemy or had been unwill- 
ing to die but Artayntes, and no one had shown a mean 
spirit but the avaricious and licentious Artayctes. 

“ When couriers brought tidings of the retreat of 
11 


162 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


the king and his wintering in Sardis grief over- 
whelmed the city, shoutings gave jDlace to lamenta- 
tions, and the name of Mardoniiis was spoken with 
curses and invectives as the deceiver of the king. 

“ In the king’s palace Artabanus bowed his aged 
brow in deep sorrow ; his forebodings had come to 
pass. lie saw the decline of his country’s glory, and 
he sorrowed for his king. In the palaces of the no- 
bles the grief was intense, for their brave brothers had 
fallen ; every-where the wailings were loud and long 
as they realized their glory had departed. At length 
the couriers announced the coming of Xerxes, and 
the sorrowful city prepared to welcome its king. 

The destruction of his army had made no change 
in the splendor of his retinue. Favorite generals 
were still by his side ; the ten tliousand Immortals 
in their gorgeous equipment were still about his path ; 
his sons were in his train ; and in magnificent parade, 
with all the luxury of a moving city, with vast stores 
of W'ealth, with thousands of the finest horses, with 
the camp equipage and seraglios of his generals and 
thousands of guards, with the most beautiful of Gre- 
cian women as concubines, he came back to Susa to 
receive the welcome of his people and to show them 
that the destruction of millions of men did not appar- 
ently decrease the glory of his kingdom.* 

* It must be remembered that the ten thousand Immortals were a 
permanent, bod3^ Though in battle all might be slain a new body 
would be at once raised to the position. 


THE VENGEANCE OF VASHTI. 1G;J 

“ The only drawback to his complete joy in the re- 
ception accorded him was the solitude of his throne. 
By an irreversible decree the queen had been de- 
throned, and no one had yet been chosen to take lier 
place. 

“ In the court life in Sardis Xerxes had found great 
delight in the affection of the wife of his brother 
Masistes. He loved Masistes and his wife with sin- 
cere devotion. Masistes was one of the bravest of 
men and his wife was a pattern of virtue. She would 
not for a moment entertain a disloyal thought, and so 
true was the king’s affection for her that he would 
not go beyond a brother’s privileges. The daughter 
of Masistes, the beautiful Artaynte, had no sucli love 
of honor, and not only sought to please the king, but 
encouraged him in every caprice. She entered his 
palace as the wife of his son Darius, but with the in- 
tention of making the monarch her slave. 

“When Xerxes returned to Shushan, Amestris, 
with her galaxy of ladies, came forth to meet him and 
presented to him the mantle she had made. He put 
it upon his shoulders and wore it through the palace 
with real gratification. When he came into the pres- 
ence of Artaynte and she beheld the handsome man- 
tle, and knew from whence it had come, her jealousy 
and vanity prompted her to employ her subtile arts, 
winning ways, and caresses to obtain from him the 
j)romise that he would give her what she desired, even 
if it was the half of his kingdom. When she was sure 


1G4 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

of liis infatuation slie gazod into his face with the 
serenest satisfaction and said, ‘Will you give me wdiat- 
ever I shall ask of you ? ’ Tlie king, captivated by 
lier caresses, answered with an inviolable oath that he 
would indeed do so. Then she boldly asked for the 
mantle he was wearing. 

“ The king, too late, saw the snare into which he 
had been drawn. lie tried to persuade her to change 
her request, for he did not wish to insult Amestris by 
giving her present to another woman. He offered 
her cities to furnish her with immense revenues ; he 
offered her an army of men to be at her command 
alone, so that she might always appear in the greatest 
splendor ; he Sought to dazzle her pride and ambition 
by the magnitude of his offer, but all of no avail ; she 
persisted, and he, for his oath’s sake, was compelled 
to take the mantle from his own shoulders and give 
it to her. Then, filled with pride and ostentation, 
she went into the palace of the women, parading the 
mantle as evidence of her power over the king and of 
his affection for her above that of all other women. 

“ The conspicuous manner in which Artaynte wore 
the mantle was reported to Amestris, and it inspired 
within her the desire for the deepest revenge. She 
had been informed of the love Xerxes had entertained 
for the mother of Artaynte, and, not heeding the child, 
but laying it all against the mother, determined to de- 
stroy her, and in a way to thoroughly punish Xerxes 
for his wandering affections. 


THE VENGEANCE OF VASIITI. 


1G5 


*‘Tlie king’s birthday was near. This day was 
always observed by a feast of unusual magnificence, 
at which the king made valuable presents to those 
lie desired to favor and granted whatever request 
was made of him. To refuse to grant such a re- 
quest W’ould be disgracing himself before his court. 
When the day came, and he sat at the feast sur- 
rounded by his nobles, Amestris, who, when queen, 
would not appear before the princes of the king- 
dom at the king’s feast, now, elaborately dressed, 
and showing her dazzling beauty to the best advan- 
tage, came before him, and in the presence of his no- 
bles claimed the right to make a request which he 
could not refuse. 

‘^The king and his nobles beheld Amestris and 
heard her words with astonishment. They did not 
deny her right to become a suppliant before the 
throne, and listened to hear what matter was so im- 
portant as to lead to this act. Perceiving their amaze- 
ment, she smiled in the consciousness of her power to 
obtain revenge, and asked wdth a voice thrilling with 
triumph, ‘ Give me the wife of Masistes, that I may 
do to her as I desire ! ’ 

Instantly a suspicion of her purpose flashed into 
the mind of the king, and he was horrified as he an- 
ticipated the consequences. lie understood her motive 
and tried to turn her from it. lie denounced her pur- 
pose of wreaking her revenge upon an innocent per- 
son as dreadful and cruel. Put he was bound by the 


ICG THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

custom of the feast. With the greatest reluctance he 
yielded to the demand, which filled him with grief. 

“lie sent wmrd to Masistes urging him to give up 
his wife; but Masistes, not comprehending the king’s 
motive, for love of liis wife would not heed such a 
request ; he would as soon think of giving up his own 
life. Inferring from the king’s manner that some- 
thing dreadful prompted the request, he hastened to 
his palace in search of his wife. 

“ Amestris departed from the king’s feast and im- 
mediately commanded the royal guards to bring her 
the wife of Masistes. When the condemned woman 
stood before her she reproached her with bitterest 
taunts, jealousy aroused her most cruel feelings, and 
the calmness of her victim but increased her rage. 

“ This was the woman whose loveliness of person 
and character charmed into love the proud spirit of 
the mighty king. True, Artaynte was the one who 
boasted of controlling the king, but she was only a 
plaything in his hands ; it was the mother he loved. 

“ At this moment it would have been almost impos- 
sible to decide which of these women was the hand- 
somer. Amestris was the impersonation of spirit, of 
elegant cruelty. The wife of Masistes was the em- 
bodiment of the most admirable feminine graces. 

“With a haughty gesture Amestris commanded 
the soldiers to strip the garments from her victim 
and mutilate her shamefully. Then, to forever de- 
stroy her beauty, ordered them to cut off her nose, 


THE VENGEANCE OF VASHTI. 


167 


ears, and lips, and, to complete tlie mutilation, bade 
them cut out her tongue, tliat she might never again 
speak words of love. In this awful condition she was 
sent back to her husband's palace. 

“"With cries of anguish Masistes sought to know 

cj O 

the author of this horrible deed. But his beloved 
wife could not utter an intelligible sound. She could 
only moan. Becalling the king’s words to him, he 
judged him to be the perpetrator of the deed, and, 
vowing the direst vengeance against him, started for 
his province to inaugurate a rebellion. 

‘‘ The safety of the kingdom was now at stake, and 
the guards of the king overtook the angry Masistes 
and his sons and slew them all. 

Thus Amestris had her revenge. She compelled 
the king cruelly to destroy the brother whom ho 
loved more than any other man and the woman 
wdiom he loved as the purest and truest in his court. 
But Amestris had gone too far. This ended her 
j^ower during the reign of Xerxes. She had been 
called Yashti because of her beauty, but from now 
on utter silence rested upon her name, a silence oidy 
broken when the head of the king was laid low in 
death.” 

For a few moments Mordecai was silent, while the 
young men expressed their horror at such dreadful 
cruelty perpetrated by Amestris. As soon, however, 
as they again became attentive he continued. 


1C8 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CHAPTER XY. 


ESTHER CROWNED QUEEN. 

HE Persian court was undergoing a gradual 



transformation. Tlie social troubles and tlie 


excitement of war seemed to alter the very atmos- 
phere of Shushan. 

“The king was still further annoyed by the bold 
presumption of Sataspes, the licentious Achaemeni- 
dean, whom he had sent to sail around the continent 
of Libya as a punishment for humiliating the sister of 
Megabyzus. 

“The Carthaginians, who were the allies of the 
Persians in the war against the Greek states, asserted 
that great seas swept the shores of Libya on every 
side and that vessels could sail around it. Sataspes 
was sent on a voyage of discovery as well as a tour 
for punishment. But he had returned the same way 
as he went forth, and had left the assertion of the 
Carthaginians unproved and undenied. 

“ Being called before the king, Sataspes gave the 
account of his travels. He had proceeded to Egypt 
according to the command of the king, and had ob- 
tained a stanch vessel with experienced sailors, many 
months’ provisions, and a suitable amount of wealth 
for exchanges, or to purchase what they might need. 


]':STIIER CROWNED QUEEN. 


loO 

He had tlien sailed through the Great Sea, past the 
city of the Carthaginians. Having passed the lofty 
Pillars of Hercules, he ordered the j^roAV of the vessel 
to be turned toward the south, following the coast until 
they had sailed beyond Cape Solois. 

“ For many months they sailed southward in the 
Great Sea. In hir distant parts they came to a nation 
of little men wearing garments made of palm-leaves, 
who, whenever the Persians drew to the shore, left 
their cities and fled to the mountains. The Persians 
did not injure them in any way, only taking some of 
their cattle. When the Persians still beheld the sea 
stretching out before them, and their vessel being 
stopped for some cause and unable to proceed, they 
turned about and returned home. 

“ Xerxes did not believe what Sataspes told him, 
and he determined to vindicate the honor of his court 
by the execution of the oflendcr as sentence had been 
originally pronounced. Pherendates, the brother of 
Sataspes, had fallen while bravely flghting at Platsea, 
but his courage would not atone for the licentious- 
ness of his recreant brother. Xerxes refused all ap- 
peals for mercy, and ordered the offender to be taken 
to the place of public execution and there be impaled 
for his crime. Thus the king protected the honor of 
of his court. 

“The customs of the Persian court had involved 
the king in the most unpleasant and cruel troubles. 
They had proved to be a mighty master usurping 


170 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

aiitlioritj over liiin and causing him to be tlie most 
helpless of subjects; and he determined to break 
loose from their control and seek pleasure in the quiet 
amenities of social delights. He now investigated 
the faithfulness of the officers charged with finding 
him a queen. He was not to be easily pleased, for he 
had always been surrounded with beautiful women, 
and though he was king he had tastes like his people. 

“ The provinces had been thoroughly searched. 
The governors had vied with each otlier in sending 
their most beautiful and brilliant maidens. Hege had 
well cared for them, and the palace of tlic women was 
glittering with such an assemblage of beauty as had 
never before been known. 

“ Many maidens ornamented after the customs of 
the provinces from which they came, clothed and per- 
fumed in the richest manner, evening after evening 
entered into the presence of the king, but with all the 
verdict was given, ‘ Go ye into the household of 
Shaashgaz, for ye are the king’s concubine.’ 

‘‘Carefully had Hege watched the humor of the 
king, and now, seeing the time had come when he 
was disposed to be pleased, he called Hadassah to send 
her into his presence. 

“ When the maiden appeared before Hege she did 
not ask for jeweled robe or glittering ornaments, but 
with sweet simplicity desired him to array her as he 
thought best, and as he should array her so would she 
enter into the presence of the king. This expression of 


ESTHER CROWNED QUEEN. 


171 


confidence still fnrtlier deliglited tlie chamberlain, 
and he decked her in the colors and with the gems 
which the monarch most admired, and, with match- 
less beauty crowning it all, sent her into tlie king’s 
presence, not as Iladassah, the myrtle, of Babylon, 
but Esther, the star, of Shushan, for by the name 
Esther should the king know her. 

“ AYhen Xerxes beheld the beautiful maiden so 
modestly, so winningly standing before him, he once 
more felt the glow of afiection. He asked not of 
what province she came, nor whether she belonged to 
the noble caste or not ; he only realized that the most 
beautiful woman he had ever gazed upon was now be- 
fore him, and that she should be his cpieeii. 

“ With his own hands he placed upon her fair brow 
the jeweled crown which had once rested on the brow 
of Amestris, and he sent the eunuchs to Shaashgaz to 
announce that he would receive no beautiful one that 
day, for the king had found his cpieen. The return 
of day did not change the mood of the king. It was 
love that moved him, and the light of the day adding 
to the charms of his chosen one increased his love. 

“ The decision by the king was announced to the 
court, and preparations were begun for a suitable cele- 
bration of the event on a scale of grandeur commen- 
surate with the wealth of the king. 

The king’s joy was the joy of his people. The joy 
of all the provinces was awakened because in honor 
of this event the entire year should be to them a year 


172 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

of release from the hardens of taxation which they 
liad been bearing with so much difficulty during and 
since the invasion of Greece. The king also opened his 
great store-houses, and his treasure-houses, and freely 
gave out of them costly gifts to his people. A great 
feast was inaugurated to which all his generals, princes, 
and nobles were invited, which was also thrown open 
to all the servants of the king, that throughout the 
entire kingdom, and particularly among tliose who 
served the king, there might be joy and gladness be- 
cause the king was glad. Shushan was illuminated 
with greater splendor than had ever yet been known, 
and the most noble families sought to do the queen 
honor. 

“‘Who was she?’ ‘Whence did she come?’ 
‘ How was she brought to the king’s palace ? ’ These 
were idle questions, for her nationality had not been 
declared, her people no one knew ; her name was 
Esther, the star, and she was the most beautiful of 
women. Curiosity dared seek no farther, lest the 
wrath of the king be hurled upon the head of the 
curious questioner. 

“ The feast was held. Amestris could hear of the 
happiness of the king and listen to the story of the 
matchless loveliness of Esther, but could not vent her 
rage upon the fortunate one. Her jealousy could not 
go beyond the walls of the palace in which she was 
restrained. She knew that her father’s house, the 
nobles of the houses of the conspirators, the Achse- 


ESTHER CROWNED QUEEN. 


173 


nienidee, the nobles who had won renown in battle, 
and the unparalleled splendor of Persia were at Es- 
ther’s footstool. The magnificence of her own court 
had been the admiration of all Persia, and she inferred 
that the new queen would at once receive honors not 
less than had been given her illustrious predecessor. 

The king assigned Esther the palace next to his 
own, and promulgated an edict that the most beau- 
tiful of the maidens of the provinces should be sent 
to Shushan, from whom the queen should select her 
maids to increase the glory of the royal household.* 

“Padiant in splendor, Esther graciously received 
the admiration of the court. To all she manifested 
the same sweet simplicity. 

“ Although no one but Hege knew what the queen 
was to me, she received my advice and followed my 
counsels, as she did when but a child in my humble 
dwelling in Babylon. Although I still sat in the 
king’s gate, as one of the royal eunuchs I had access 
to the palace of the queen to serve her as she might 
command. 

‘‘ The king’s gate was a wonderful place. It was 
directly opposite the center of the landing-place at 
the top of the great stairs leading from the plain up 
to the platform on which the king’s palace stood. It 
was a magnificent room more than eighty feet square, 
in the center of which were four towering columns, 
nearly sixty feet in height, supporting the roof. The 

* I suggest this as an explanation of Esth. ii, 19. 


174 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

walls of this room were sixteen feet in tliickness. On 
opposite sides of the room were two grand portals, 
each twelve feet wide and thirty-six feet high, and 
both of these were flanked with colossal bulls, the pair 
in the portal toward the palace being winged and hav- 
ing the heads of men.* These well-guarded portals 
prevented the approach of any one to the palace of 
the king who had no right there, and the surveillance 
of strangers w'as of the closest kind. This was also 
the gathering-place of the officers of the kingdom as 
they came to honor their king. Here could be found 
the eunuchs who guarded the households of the queen 
and of the concubines. Here Hege and Shaashgaz 
came when sent for. Here were the chamberlains 
of the king when not in attendance before his throne, 
the embassadors from the distant nations waiting 
audience with the king, the nobles, the governors, 
the generals, the courtiers, seeking favors from one 
another or from the king. This was the custom-house 
of the palace, and here I was in service, now more 
vigilant than ever to add to the glory of the king, 
whose queen was my beloved Hadassah. 

“ In the gate many languages M'ere spoken, and as 
strangers from the various provinces entered tliey 
easily found an interpreter to make their message 
known. The dispersion of the sons of the most noble 
families into the various provinces helped, however, 
to make known among all the people the Persian 
* Rawlinson’s Seven Monarchies. 


ESTHER CROWNED QUEEN. 


175 


language, which was used in the king’s palace.* Be- 
cause of my peculiar faculty for language I was most 
valuable to the strangers who knew not the language 
of the court. 

“ The confidence and harmony once prevailing in 
the Persian capital were sadly deranged by the events 
connected with the Greek war. The house of Otanes 
was affected by the deposition of Amestris. The 
king’s kinsmen were shocked by the murder of Mas- 
istes. The punishment of Sataspes alienated his kin. 
The death of so many of the most loyal defenders of 
the throne gave room for new men not so loyal to 
enter into positions involving public trusts. The use 
Xerxes made of his eunuchs aroused the jealousy of 
the nobles, and the eunuchs, unused to power, became 
bitterly antagonistic to one another. 

“ The eunuchs favored by Amestris lost their 
prominence by the ele.vation of Esther, and, like their 
mistress, thirsted for revenge. The deposed queen 
could exercise no authority by word or command. 
Only by promises of favor and gifts was she able to 
stir up dissensions among the eunuchs and lead them 
to do her will. Her only hope of regaining power 
now lay in the early death of the king, when, as 
queen-mother, she would become the first lady in the 
kingdom. It was a hope sufficient to stir the greed of 
the eunuchs who were devoted to her service. 

Bigthan and Teresh w’ere the chamberlains in 

* Talmudic tradition. 


176 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


charge of the threshold of the king’s palace.* All in 
the gate where I sat were subject to their command. 
They were the most suitable ones to become the 
agents of Amestris in bringing about her return to 
power. 

“ The changes in the court were not pleasing to 
them, and, urged by the strong inducements sent from 
the palace of the deposed queen, they willingly })lotted 
to assassinate the king. The time seemed ripe, and, 
by whispered conferences in the gate, they sought to 
spread the conspiracy. 

The decline of the military strength of the king- 
dom, the disgraceful defeats in Greece, the moral 
weakness of the king, and tlie elevation of unknown 
persons to places of authority gave color to their mur- 
murino^s ao^ainst the kino:. 

o o 

“With persistent and keen observation I allowed 
nothing to escape me, and detected the plot, and, 
when I learned who its leaders were and the purpose 
in view, I went to the queen and rev^ealed it all. The 
queen immediately sent word to the king that she 
had important news to comnmnicate. When he came 
to her palace she informed him of the plot and gave 
the names of the leaders, and commended me to his 
favor as the eunucli who had discovered it and had 
made it known. 

“The king was startled at the danger threatening 
him. In the war wdth Greece lie lost confidence in 

* Ksth. ii, 21. 


ESTHER CROWNED QUEEN. 


177 


his army. In the preparations for that war lie began 
to distrust his counselors. Now he learned that even 
his most highly favored chamberlains were not to be 
depended on when bribes were held before them. 

‘‘ The nearness of the plot aroused him. The cham- 
berlains, being in charge of the gate, could exclude 
at their pleasure all whom they did not wish to have 
there, and they could soon fill the palace with assassins 
in whose hands he would be helpless, although his 
entire army might be in the plain before Shushan. 
But the warning had come in time. 

“The gate, as usual, was thronged with the nobles 
of the kingdom and the officers of the court, coming 
and going on their various missions. I was in my 
place attending to my duties. Bigthan and Teresh 
were in their places, clothed in the splendid gar- 
ments significant of the offices they held. The great 
gates within the thick walls were open and guarded 
by the palace guards. There was a continual hum as 
the crowds engaged in conversation and men from 
different parts of the kingdom met and greeted each 
other. Here and there courtiers and palace eunuchs, 
clothed in official robes, moved about, conveying mes- 
sages from their masters to their friends, patrons, or 
servitors. Suddenly the sound of a trumpet pealed 
til rough the room ; the portals were darkened with 
the coming of the king’s guards ; hundreds of brill- 
iantly equipped soldiers, in full armor, pressed through 

the ])ortals ; the gate was surrounded ; glittering 
12 


178 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

spears were pointed toward tlie astonished people 
within the court of the gate, and the captain of the 
king’s guard, with a squad of soldiers, advanced to 
the j)lace where Bigthan and Teresh were standing, 
and, by the command of the king, arrested them for 
high treason. A feeling of surprise swept over them 
all, and the most abject fear paled the cheeks of many 
as the king’s scribe, standing by the side of the chief 
captain, called out the names of the conspirators, who 
were immediately placed under arrest. AVhen the 
scribe had finished his list the captain, leaving soldiers 
to thoroughly guard the gate, took his prisoners into 
the presence of the king. 

“The counselors of the throne were then called. 
Before them the charge was brought of the conspir- 
acy to kill the king and overturn the government. 
The proofs of the guilt of those arrested w^as pro- 
duced, and Bigthan, Teresh, and their associates were 
stripped of their official robes and, clothed as male- 
factors, were led through the gate down the main 
stair-way into the plain before the palace and there 
impaled. Thus all servants of the king were warned 
of the fate awaiting conspirators. They would re- 
ceive no mercy. The uneasiness of the court was 
now suppressed, and with the quiet of uninterrupted 
routine the affairs of the kingdom were attended to 
in their order.” 

We were grateful to Mordecai for this account of 
inner court life. We would gladly have heard more. 


ESTHER CROWNED QUEEN. 


1V9 


but lie could not spare us more of his time. Nelie- 
niiah offered to tell us about the recreations and 
enjoyments of the Persian kings if we would visit 
his palace after the day had declined. To this we 
gladly assented, and, again thanking Mordecai, re- 
turned to our homes. In the evening we met in 
Nehemiah’s home, and upon the spacious roof of his 
house, enjoying the pleasant evening air and admir- 
ing the brilliant stars shining above us, listened while 
the noble courtier spoke to us of tlie king’s recrea- 
tions as follows. 


180 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CHAPTEK XYL 


THE RECREATIONS OP THE KING. 


S the tranquillity of the court and kingdom 



f~\ were restored the king sought to gratify his 
tastes according to the customs of his fathers. His 
leisure hours were devoted to sports of various 
kinds, the favorite sport being hunting. The king, 
with such courtiers as he chose to invite, would 
spend days on the mountains hunting the wildest and 
most dangerous animals. Xot only the king but the 
nobles also had their kennels of dogs — the best being 
from India — in which they found great pride, each 
seeking by the most careful breeding to surpass the 
others in the quality of their hounds. These hounds 
fearlessly penetrated the deepest recesses of the 
mountains, and aroused from their lairs the powerful 
and savage lions. 

‘‘From early youth the sons of the king and nobles 
were trained in hunting. Every noble youth was 
ambitious to possess the skill to give a lion the death- 
stroke. This required severe training and the ut- 
most bravery. 

“ The king was trained to be an expert hunter, and 
the law of the chase was, no one in his suite was per- 
mitted to cast his weapon until the king had cast his 


THE RECREATIONS OF THE KING. 


181 


own. Sometimes these beasts were hunted from 
chariots, the king generally dismounting to give the 
stroke of death. Certain places on the mountains 
abounded in lions, stags, antelopes, wild asses, wild 
boars, wild sheejD, bears, leopards, and smaller game. 

The danger attending this sport added to its inter- 
» est, and when peace forbade the battle-field as the 
arena to prove one’s personal bravery hunting excur- 
sions on the mountains afforded that desired oppor- 
tunity. When tamer sport was desired the king led 
his guests into great parks set apart for such a pur- 
pose, in which stags, antelopes, and wild sheep were 
kept. These parks were also used as immense pleas- 
ure-grounds, with great forests stretching through 
them, and streams of water, with springs of the pur- 
est cpiality, giving growth to groves of the most hand- 
some trees. In such parks excursions often sought 
such enjoyment as the swiftness of the chase, bereft 
of its dangers, gave. The skill and speed of the 
Indian dogs matched against the skill and speed of 
the antelopes gave the greatest pleasure to the more 
effeminate courtiers. 

When the weather forbade such sports the king 
exercised his ingenuity in carving figures on wood. 
To be a skillful carver W'as not beneath his dignity. 
While the queen and her ladies passed their time in 
weaving or in embroidery the king was employing 
liis skill in sculpturing. 

“ There was more than mere pastime in this occupa- 


182 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


tion bj Xerxes, for lie had already detennincd on ex- 
tensive building operations, in which the skill of de- 
signers would be shown transferred from the wood to 
the huge blocks of marble. Why should not the 
king be immortalized by designing tiie sculptured 
forms to decorate his elegant palaces ? Is not this a 
reasonable supposition, since wmod-carving was the 
hobby of the king ? 

The king also spent much time in reviewing his 
troops, entei'taining his counselors, supervising his 
officials, and receiving distinguished guests from not 
onlj^ his own provinces, but also from contiguous na- 
tions. The internal affairs of his kingdom, such as 
receiving tribute and gifts and dispensing gifts to 
those whom he chose to honor, served to employ a 
great part of his time, at the same time endearing him 
to his people. 

“When confined to his palace his favorite pastime 
was throwing dice with the queen or with the officers 
and ladies of the court who were admitted to inti- 
macy. They usually played for stakes, these often run- 
ning very high. ’ The ordinary stake was gold darics, 
j then slaves, eunuchs, palaces, jewels, cities, or what- 
ever the}^ might possess. 

“Wine-drinking, however, became the most popu- 
lar indulgence in the court. During the time of 
Darius the ju’ccepts of Zoroaster prevailed, partic- 
ularly just after the massacre of the Magians, the 
associates and fellow-conspirators of the false Smerdis. 


THE RECREATIONS OF THE KING. 183 

But during the reign of Xerxes tlie Magians began to 
recover power and social standing. In the disastrous 
invasion of Greece Xerxes had been accompanied by 
a Magian priest, and after that war the corrupting 
influence of Magianism prevailed more and more. 
The indifference toward pure Zoroastrianism was 
sliown wlien Tanata, the Babylonian Yenus, the 
Greek Aphrodite, was given a favored place in Per- 
sian worship. It was also seen in the importance 
given to the worship of the intoxicating fermented 
juice of the plant Asclepias Acida, or Haoma. As a 
consequence the Avesta was gradually filled with 
hymns in honor of Ilaoma. What Bacchus was to 
the Greeks Ilaoma was to the Persians ; and even 
more, for they honored it as giving existence to wis- 
dom, conferring health, increasing the power of both 
soul and body, sustaining long life, insuring brilliant 
children, and giving victory in battle. Its effect — 
intoxication — was considered the gift of the gods, and 
it became the established rule never to enter upon 
the consideration of an important matter until in 
a state of intoxication from its use. It was also 
the custom for the king to surrender himself to the 
influence of Ilaoma at least once a year, and in all 
his public banquets the closing hours were given to 
unrestrained indulgence in wine. One part of the 
kingdom especially adapted to the culture of the vine 
was selected to furnish the king with wdne, and this 
was considered the choicest wine produced on the 


184 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

earth. It was honored as being the friendly gift of 
Haoma. 

“After the Grecian war the composition of the 
king’s court was greatly altered. Artabanus, who had 
so wisely advised the king, was superseded by men 
younger and more in harmony with the tastes of the 
pleasure-seeking king. One of these, who rose rap- 
idly in the favor of the king, was Ilaman. Ilis name 
signified worshiper of Haoma, one whose life was 
from infancy consecrated to the service of the wine- 
god. His father’s name was Hammedatha, meaning, 
given by the moon. Thus Haman was associated 
with the worship of the god of indulgence, Haoma, 
and the goddess of lust, Tanata. In himself Haman 
represented the power and brilliancy which Haoma 
conferred upon his favored ones, and in the king’s 
feasts in honor of Haoma Haman became the favorite. 
As the king’s fondness for the inebriating wine in- 
creased Haman grew in favor, until the king was 
willing to grant him almost any favor he might ask. 
The king even gave commandment that every one 
who entered the gate of the palace should recognize 
the importance of Haman by bowing before him 
with reverence. 

“The discipline of the court was so thorough that 
the reasonableness of a command was not considered. 
The loyalty of the people led them to delight in 
obeying whatever command the king should send 
forth. Some, like Mordecai, did not possess this feel- 


THE RECREATIONS OF THE KING. 


185 


ing of veneration for tlie king. They were as pil- 
grims and strangers ; they were subjects in forced 
bondage, and constantly looked for the day when they 
should return home. For them to be compelled to 
bow before a dissipated favorite was humiliating in 
the extreme. 

“ In seeking new forms of diversion, the king, be- 
coming ambitious to excel his ancestors in the magnifi- 
cence of his buildings and the luxury of his court, 
sought plans for buildings giving larger accommoda- 
tions than he already possessed. The palaces at Shu- 
shan were enlarged, new structures were built, and 
the want in that city was supplied. 

‘‘ Then the king turned his attention to his summer 
resort, the city of his fathers, where, in Edenic lux- 
ury, the court passed tlie hot period of each year. 

Persepolis had always been honored by the Per- 
sian kings. And it deserved the prominence given 
it, for it was one of the loveliest places in the world. 
Here was a natural rocky slope of the mountain 
which had been leveled on the top and the front and 
sides built up with great blocks of stone, forming an 
extensive area, in no place less than twenty feet above 
the level of the plain. This platform was fifteen 
hundred feet long and nine hundred and fifty feet 
wide. The stones of the wall, which were often 
forty-nine to fifty-five feet long and from six to nine 
feet broad, were fastened together by iron or lead 
clamps. These immense stones were hewn smooth 


186 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


and squared, but the wall as a whole presented the 
appearance of rugged irregularity. 

‘‘ This platform was divided into three sections of 
different heights. The southern terrace had an ele- 
vation of twenty-three feet above the plain, the north- 
ern thirty-five feet, and the central forty-five feet. 
This latter had a length of seven hundred and seventy 
feet along the west face of the platform and a width 
of four hundred feet. It was upon this terrace the 
most important buildings were erected. 

‘‘The most wonderful stair-ways in the world were 
here built to enable the people to go from one ter- 
race to another. The first and grandest in scale was 
on the west front of the platform toward its northeim 
end, leading from the plain to the summit of the 
northern terrace. It consisted of two distinct sets of 
steps, each comprising two flights, with a broad land- 
ing-place between them, the steps themselves running 
at i-ight angles to the platform wall, the two lower 
flights diverging, the two upper converging to a com- 
mon landing-place on the top. The slope of the 
stairs w^as so gradual that though each step was of a 
convenient width the height of a step w^as less than 
four inches, and horsemen rode up and down them 
with ease. The width of the stair-ways was twenty- 
two feet, so that ten horsemen, side by side, could as- 
cend them.* 

“ The staircase leading from this terrace to the 
* Rawlinson’a Seven Monarchies^ vol. ii, p. 384. 


THE RECREATIONS OF THE KING. 187 

upper terrace fronted nortliward and was sixty yards 
to the right of the other. It consisted of four single 
flights of steps, two of which were central, facing one 
another and leading to a projecting landing-place 
which was twenty feet wide, while the other two 
were on either side of the central flights and about 
twenty-one yards distant from them. This staircase 
was two hundred and twelve feet in length, the steps 
were sixteen feet wide, and there were thirty-one 
steps in an ascent of ten feet. The entire face of this 
staircase was covered with sculptures. 

‘‘The central projection was divided perpendicu- 
larly into three compartments. In the spandrels on 
either side were represented a lion devouring a bull, 
and in the compartment between the spandrels eight 
colossal Persian guardsmen, armed with spears and 
with sword or shield, represented the defenders of 
the throne. Further, above the lion and bull, toward 
the edge of the spandrel where it sloped, forming a 
parapet to the steps, there was engraved a row of cy- 
press trees, while at the end of the parapet and along 
the whole of its inner face were a set of small figures 
— guardsmen habited like those in the central com- 
partment, but each carrying a bow and quiver instead 
of a shield. Along the extreme edge of the parapet 
externally w’as a narrow border thickly set with 
rosettes. 'Next in the long S2:)aces between the cen- 
tral stairs and those on either side the spandrels con- 
tained repetitions of the lion and bull sculpture, while 


188 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


between them and the central stairs the face of tlie 
wall was divided liorizontallj into three bands, each 
of which was ornamented with a continnous row of 
figures. Tlie scene on the right was the bringing of 
tribute or presents to the king bj the various nations 
subject to him. On the left were representations of 
guards and officers of tlie court, the guards being 
placed toward tlie center, and, as it were, keeping the 
main stairs while the officers were at a greater distance. 
The three rows of figures were separated from one 
another bj narrow bands thickly set with rosettes. 

“On the right hand, or western extremity of the 
staircase, were engraved words in thirty lines declar- 
ing that the constructor of this staircase was Xerxes, 
the great king, the king of kings, the son of Darius, 
the Acheemenidean. 

“Xcar the western edge of the platform, on the 
most elevated part of the terrace, some fifteen feet 
above the ground-level, stood the palace Darius had 
built. It was a hundred and thirty-five feet long 
and a hundred feet broad, and it rose to a height at 
least four or five feet above the palace of Xerxes. 

“It was here, close by the palace of his ancestors, 
that Xerxes determined to erect his most magnificent 
buildings, and thousands of men were sent into the 
mountain close by to quarry the marble and shape the 
stones necessary for this purpose. It was to be a 
work of years, and while startling events were occur- 
ring in the court at Shushan these men were prepar- 


THE RECREATIONS OF THE KING. 


189 


ing materials for the temples and palaces destined to 
awaken the admiration of the world.” 

Neliemiali now manifested bj liis manner that bis 
account was ended, but we were loath to depart. 

For a long time Ezra had been listening to the 
words of liis companions. Whenever they had asked 
him to relate something about the story of Persia he 
had said, “ Wait a while ; I will speak later on.” Kow, 
Nehemiah having ceased, he said : “ I presume Morde- 
cai is best qualified to relate the next series of events. 
But I shall take it from him and tell you about 
it, for he was a great actor in it, and his modesty may 
lead him to pass too hastily over his own services. 
Truly, you will perceive that our dear friend was, 
when in the prime of manhood, the guiding mind of 
the great Persian kingdom. This was the way it was 
brought about.” 


190 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CHAPTEK XYII. 


HAMAN’S WICKED PLOT. 

ST HEP had been queen five years, during 



1 V 'wliicli time the king continued to delight in 
lier beauty and to surround her with every thing that 
could contribute to her comfort. Hainan, the elegant 
voluptuary, was the king’s favorite, and the king 
bestowed upon him with lavish hand riches, presents, 
and honors. He dwelt in a palace near the king in 
almost regal splendor. The nobles and officers of the 
court paid him the most abject reverence. When he 
went forth the people bowed before him; when he 
spoke every one listened ; when he smiled there was 
joy ; when he frowned men trembled. Those who 
desired the favor of the king first paid court to the 
favorite and sought to win him by costly presents and 
obsequious demeanor. Every one feared the favorite, 
and all crkiged before him but oiie, and this single 
exception was the eunuch who sat in the gate, Mor- 
decai, the favorite of the queen. 

‘‘When all others bowed before Haman Mordecai 
stood erect ; when all others spoke his praises Morde- 
cai was silent ; when all others gave gifts ^lordecai 
turned away. Indeed, so pointed w^as his disregard 
of the king s commandment concerning Hainan that 


HAMAN’S WICKED PLOT. 


191 


all in the gate saw it and wondered at it. The years 
he had spent in the gate had made him one of the 
most conspicuous of the king’s servants, and liis 
strange actions became the theme of common conver- 
sation. 

“ Those familiar with him freely questioned liim 
as to his action toward Hainan. ‘ Did he not know 
the king’s commandments?’ ‘ Did he not know the 
far-reaching power of Hainan and the vindictive cru- 
elty of his wrath ? AVas he courting impalement? ’ 

“ But Mordecai, filled witli the spirit of Daniel, felt 
that his obedience to God was called in question, and 
he would rather die than deny his religion. He told 
his companions that he was a Jew and worshiped 
Jehovah, God only, and that to reverence a man 
would be to become an idolater. Moreover, his re- 
ligion inculcated purity and virtue, and he could not 
honor one who boasted of being the incarnation of 
the spirit of Haoma. More than that, there flowed in 
the veins of Haraan the. blood of Agag, the ancient 
king of the Amalekites, a race cursed by the Lord 
God of the Jews; and though Hainan was by one line 
of descent of the noblest Persian stock, the Amalek- 
ite stain was in his nature, and the display of that 
connection by his vice and character was the pride 
of his life and the foundation of his power. Hence 
Mordecai remained indifferent to all the advice given, 
and maintained a stiff neck when Hainan entered the 
gate. Then some of the officers, fond of excitement. 


192 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

and desiring to see whether the favorite of the king 
would take vengeance on the favorite of the queen, 
informed Hainan of the manner and words of Mor- 
decai. 

‘‘ Haman was filled with anger, and to make proof 
of the reports, clothed in all the magnificence his 
position warranted, passed into the court of the gate 
before the face of Mordecai. As he entered the gate 
nobles, courtiers, eunuchs, officers, and visitors on 
every hand prostrated themselves, but Mordecai, not 
changing his attitude, with calm demeanor, in his 
usual manner, attended to the duties of his office. 
Haman gazed upon him with growing wrath and 
vowed the most terrible revenge. If it was a 
question of religion and nationality with Mordecai he 
would sweep his nation and their religion from the 
face of the earth. He would not demean himself by 
touching one man alone ; a nation should feel his 
wrath. In this mood Haman returned to his palace 
and called his intimate friends about him. 

“When they had come Haman informed them of 
his plan, and amid the drinking of wine and boasting 
of vengeance called for the dice and threw them to 
determine the day of vengeance upon his enemies. 
They cast for the month, and the number on the dice 
indicated the twelfth ; they cast for the day, and the 
dice signified the thirteenth. Eleven months Ids re- 
venge could burn and his people prepare to destroy 
the hated Jews. 


HAMAN’S WICKED PLOT. 


193 


“ The king was at his usual daily feast when 
Ilamaii was announced in the court of the palace. 
Xerxes was glad, for he desired his company, and 
together they made the wine flow the more freely. 
Hainan knew how to flatter and increase the pride of 
the king, and because of his charming flattery the 
king was always ready to liave him at his daily feast 
to drink with liim, while the concubines danced 
before them or made sweet music witli their soners 

O 

and ringing instruments. 

“ When the king had become sufficiently intoxicated 
to agree to anj^ thing Haman said : ‘ There is a cer- 
tain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the 
people in all the provinces of tliy kingdom ; and their 
laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they 
the king’s laws : therefore it is not for the king’s 
proflt to sufler them. If it please the king, let it be 
written that they may be destroyed : and I will pay 
ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those 
that have the charge of the business, to bring it into 
the king’s treasuries.’* 

“ The king was surprised and alarmed at this state- 
ment. What trouble might come from disturbers of 
the peace organizing themselves in every province 
from India to Ethiopia! what danger in permitting 
laws to prevail contrary to his own and subverting 
his own 1 With thanks he commended the watchful- 
ness of Hainan, and fully agreed with him that such a 
Estli. iii, 8, 9. 


13 


194 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


people should not be allowed to live. He did not de- 
sire the experience of five years before to be repeated. 
In the impulse of the moment be did not even ask 
the name of this people, but, taking from bis finger 
bis signet-ring, gave it to Ilarnaii and commanded 
biin to pursue whatever course w^as best, authorizing 
him to spoil their possession for bis own enrichment 
and be free from paying into the king’s treasury bis 
own wealth for that privilege, although Ilaman’s offer 
Avas equal to nearly two thirds of the king’s annual 
income. 

‘‘ When their feast was over and the king was ready 
to retire to his palace Haman departed, and, calling the 
king’s scribes, had them -write as he dictated and then 
seal with the king’s signet letters to all the king’s 
lieutenants and to the governors of every province, 
and to all the rulers in the provinces in every language 
spoken in the kingdom, that on the day exactly eleven 
months from the signing of this decree they should 
destroy, kill, and cause to perish all Jews, both young 
and old, little children and Avomen, in that one day, 
the thirteenth day of the tAvelfth month, the month 
Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey, and 
that this decree should every-Avhere be made known, 
that all people might be ready to do so on that day. 

“When the decree AA^as thus Avritten the royal cou- 
riers were called and commanded as rapidly as they 
could travel to spread this edict. As the couriers 
Avent forth Haman again entered the king’s palace, 


HAM AN’S WICKED PLOT. 


195 


and tliej sat down to spend hours in drinking the 
wine that made merry with intoxication. 

The effect of this edict was appalling. When the 
court scribe announced it in the gate Mordecai saw 
that he was the occasion for this dreadful revenge, and 
he knew, as all the people knew, that the edict would 
be executed, and that there was no help for them in 
man. Only God, in some miraculous way, could de- 
liver them. 

“ Mordecai daily clothed himself in gorgeous rai- 
ment, suitable for entering the presence of the king 
or the queen, jewels of great value sparkled upon his 
lingers and his shoulders, his hair was glossy with 
choice ointments, and his smooth cheeks were nuhly 
with the beauty of health and frequent ablutions. 
But when he heard the edict he bowed his head and 
returned to his own house in Susa, and there stripped 
off his gorgeous robes, his jewels and gold, and, put- 
ting on torn clothing, covered with coarse sackcloth, 
and with ashes sprinkled upon his luxuriant hair, went 
out into the streets of Susa and up the broad avenue 
before the gate of the royal palace, uttering a pierc- 
ing cry of most bitter lamentation. And every- where 
throughout the provinces the Jews laid aside their 
ornaments, turned from their luxurious couches, and, 
dressed in sackcloth, slept on ashes. They also turned 
from the food they usually delighted in, and by fast- 
ing, weeping, wailing, and humiliation prayed God to 
send them deliverance. 


1 96 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

“ In the palaces of Shuslian the nobles were per- 
plexed, for such a decree seemed to be utterly uncalled 
for. 

“The Persians, and j)articularlj the nobles, held the 
act of buying or selling in contempt. Their method 
of exchange was by gifts, and their wealth was so 
great and their estates so large that upon their own 
lands they could produce all that was needed to sus- 
tain them. The same feeling spread among the 
poorer Persians, and while compelled to purchase 
they held in contempt those who formed the merchant 
class ; consequently there were no Persians among 
the merchant class except such as chose to deny the 
pride of their race. But the union of the nations 
and provinces into a great kingdom, and the bringing 
together of the various products of field, fiock, and 
mine from all the provinces by gift or tribute into 
the king’s treasury, aroused the desire of the nobles 
to possess more of these articles than could be ob- 
tained in their own provinces, and those superior to 
what was possessed by other nobles of the court. 

“ In their conquests vast quantities of spoil were 
obtained, which needed to enter into general circula- 
tion so that the original possessors might profit by 
it. Thus there fiourished, in spite of the Persian 
prejudice, a merchant class, who exchanged products, 
wealth, manufactures, and bought and sold to those 
who desired their services. 

“By nature the Jews were skilled in the handling 


HAMAN’S WICKED PLOT. 


197 


of merchandise, and it was for the purpose of trading 
that they were scattered in every province from India 
to Ethiopia. Every-wliere they preserved their 
ethnic peculiarities and kept themselves from the 
worship of idols, not caring for the caste of the nobles 
growing in wealth and in influence as the purveyors 
of the various valuable products of the kingdom. 
They abounded in Susa, in Babylon, in every satrapal 
city, and wherever the nobles were located and wealth 
was possessed. With keenness they were able to 
anticipate the wants of the king or his nobles, and 
if a noble wished to possess what was rare and costly 
he knew just where in Susa the Jew could be found 
who by the organized system of trade among liis 
people could obtain it for him. 

“ The edict sent forth by Hainan pleased the rabble 
class in every city. Nothing suited them better than 
to sack the houses of these merchants, to which their 
imaginations attributed untold wealth and mysterious 
visits of genii and afrits supplying them with the 
richest gems of the earth and the most delicate fabrics, 
rivaling the spider or the silk-worm in fineness of 
structure. 

Thus the wise and thoughtful nobles feared the 
results of this decree, while the rabble hoped for the 
day when by pillage and massacre they might become 
rich in plunder and array themselves in the style of 
the nobles. 

“When Mordecai came before the king’s gate 


198 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

clothed in sackcloth the attention of the people going 
into the court of the gate was attracted by his miser- 
able appearance and his loud wailings. 

“ He could not enter the gate in that condition ; 
only when clothed in attractive dress could any one 
approach the king. The queen’s eunuchs, seeing him, 
informed the maidens who served the queen, and they 
led the eunuchs to the queen to inform her of the 
sorrow cf her favorite. 

“When she heard them she selected a gorgeous 
robe, such as only one high in favor to the queen 
could wear, and by the hands of her attendants sent it 
to Mordecai. As these eunuchs passed through the 
gate all could see how the queen honored Mordecai, 
and that his happiness was her delight. 

“ But Mordecai refused to receive the robe, and con- 
tinued in his dress of sackcloth, wailing and throwing 
ashes on his head. 

“ Then the queen was filled with grief, and calling 
Ilatach, the principal eunuch of her household, one of 
the king’s chamberlains, sent him to Mordecai to learn 
the cause of his grief. Hatach immediately prepared 
to do as he was commanded. Putting on his street 
garments, he went out of the palace, through the gate, 
down the great stair-way, and into the street to Susa 
before the king’s gate, where Mordecai was uttering 
his lamentations. 

“ When he had represented to Mordecai the queen’s 
sorrow because of his hidden grief, and had exhorted 


HAMAN’S WICKED PLOT. 


199 


him to make it known, Mordecai told him of the plot 
Ilaman had organized to destroy the nation of the 
Jews and the amount of money he had offered the 
king for the privilege of destroying them. He also 
gave him for the queen a copy of the terrible decree, 
and to charge her in his name to go to the king and 
make supplication for tlie life of her people. 

“ This message filled the qneen with dismay. She 
did not see how to save her people because of the eti- 
quette ruling her approach to the king. She sent 
Hatach again to Mordecai to say, ‘All the king’s 
servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do 
know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall 
come unto the king into the inner court, who is not 
called, there is one law of his to put him to death, 
except such to whom the king shall hold out the 
golden scepter, that he may live: but I have not been 
called to come in unto the king these thirty days.’ * 

“ Mordecai, knowing this law and seeing the danger 
to the queen, was none the less sure that she should 
run this risk, and sent back tlie answer, ‘ Think not 
with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, 
more than all the J ews. For if thou altogether boldest 
thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement 
and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place ; 
but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed : 
and who knoweth whether thou art come to the king- 
dom for such a time as this ? ’ f 

*Estli. iv, 11. t Esth. iv, 13, 14. 


200 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

“This appeal revealed to Esther lier duty toward 
her people, and she determined, if need be, to become 
a sacrifice for them. She knew npt wdiether the king 
w^as angry with her or not, nor did she know how 
far Hainan was presuming against her in this decree. 
Had some one told Hainan that she was of the Jews? 
If so the king would also know it, and would he be 
willing to put her out of the way ? Thus, in fear and 
doubt, the queen determined to cast herself upon the 
mercy of her God and seek the favor of the king. 

“ She therefore sent this answer to Mordecai : ‘ Go, 
gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, 
and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three 
days, night or day : I also and my maidens will fast 
likewise ; and so will I go in unto the king, which is 
not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.’* 
When Mordecai received this message he went to his 
house and sent word to all the Jews in Susa, and 
gathering together in the court of his palace they did 
as the queen had commanded. But the king and 
Hainan continued their reveling in the king’s palace, 
sacrificing to the honor of Haoma.” 

At this moment one of the young men could not 
refrain from expressing his admiration of the brave 
queen. This opened the way for a general conversa- 
tion lasting several minutes, then, all having become 
silent again, Ezra continued. 

Esth. iv, 16. 


ESTHER’S FEAST. 


201 


CHAPTEE XYIII. 

ESTHER’S FEAST. 

the third day Esther and lier seven maid- 
ens ceased their fasting, went into tlie batli, 
and steeped themselves in perfumes, and then the 
maidens arrayed their queen in her most attractive 
robes. 

“Upon her brow was placed the circlet of glitter- 
ing gems which distinguished her as queen. Xerxes 
himself had first placed it upon her brow when he 
had presented her to his nobles as his queen. Her 
hair, perfumed with the richest odors, was made biilh 
iant by a similar fillet of gems alternating with pearls. 
In her ears were hung rings of pure gold, shaped into 
exquisite patterns. About her neck was a triple 
necklace of large pearls, the gift of the king. Her 
outer robe, which displayed the finest skill in its gold- 
lace embroidery, was fastened at the shoulders and at 
the girdle by clasps, each one made of a single brill- 
iant agate, and the deep purple color of the robe, by 
contrast with her fair face, arms, and bosom, increased 
her matchless charms. AYhen she was completely 
arrayed her maidens could not withhold their admira- 
tion of her loveliness. 

“ Her maidens were then arrayed by their attend- 


202 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

ants in their richest robes, and were adorned with such 
a profusion of gold and gems as to surpass the splen- 
dor of any other ladies within the boundaries of the 
king’s dominions. Ilatach was enraptured bj their 
splendor when, called to conduct them to the king, he 
first gazed upon them. 

“AYithin his magnificent throne-room Xerxes sat 
upon a throrie of solid gold raised three steps above 
the floor, and in a position from which he could look 
down the aisles between the lofty stone pillars through 
the door-ways into the outer colonnades. He was 
surrounded by his usual attendants, and was giving 
audience to those whom he called into his presence. 

“When the eunuchs attending Ilatach entered the 
outer court to prepare the way for the coming of the 
ladies the chamberlains at the outer door-ways at 
once caused the entire court to be vacated, so that no 
one might gaze upon the queen and her maidens but 
the eunuchs in waiting about the throne. 

“ Xerxes had upon his head a brilliant scarlet tiara 
studded with precious gems, the exclusive sign of his 
kingship. It was high, stiff, and enriched with a blue 
and white fillet. lie w’ore a purple robe embroidered 
with lace-work of gold, wdiich came down to his 
ankles, resting on his feet. Around his waist was a 
broad girdle of gold in which he carried a short dag- 
ger, the sheath of which was made of a single piece 
of precious lapis lazuli. On his feet were long taper- 
ing shoes of deep saffron hue. In his eai-s were 


ESTHER’S FEAST. 


203 


golden ear-rings inlaid with jewels. Around his neck 
was a band of twisted cords of gold. On his wrists 
were also bands of gold, each one having a large 
jewel set in the center. In his right hand he held 
the scepter, a plain rod five feet in length, made 
of gold. Its louver end tapered to a point, its upper 
end was ornamented with a knob, shaped like an apple, 
also of solid gold. Behind the king was his parasol- 
bearer, liis fan-bearer holding his handkerchief and 
perfumery bottle, his eunuchs, who were to be eyes 
and ears for him, and his scribes and ushers.* 

“ The fioor of the throne-room was paved with 
blocks of marble cf different colors, partly covered 
with rugs, while the aisles upon which the king 
walked were entirely covered with the famous mgs of 
Sardis, upon which no one but the king dared to walk. 

‘‘ From pillar to pillar extended cords of twisted 
linen and gold threads, fastened to the marble pillars 
by silver sockets, upon whicli were suspended curtains 
made of finest cashmere wool and Egyptian linen of 
various colors, such as green, violet, blue, and white. 
These curtains were arranged to modify the currents 
of air and the light to suit the taste of the king. Not 
a word was being spoken except by the king, who was 
dictating to his scribe his answer to a petition from 
one of his distant provinces presented by an embassy 
of the previous day. 

* Description of the dress of the Persian kings in Ravvlinson’s Seven 
Monarchies. 


204 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

“ The queen advanced until she stood in the door- 
way, where the king might see her if he looked to- 
ward the colonnade on the side of the queen’s pahice. 
If when he saw her he should be vexed at her com- 
ing; if in a moment of jealous thouglit he should im- 
agine she had been met by the gaze of those who had 
been waiting for audience in the outer court ; if 
busied in preparing to entertain some distinguished 
personage or receive embassies he should be irritated 
by being disturbed ; if from any little spell of ill 
humor he should frown at her coming, tlie eunuchs 
would quickly thrust her and her attendants out of 
his sight and put them to death for violating one of 
the established rules of tlie court. 

‘‘ The decisive moment came. As the king ceased 
his dictation he looked about him, and for the first 
time in thirty-three days his glance rested upon the 
queen in whom for five years he had found the sweet- 
est delight. As when he first beheld her his love was 
awakened, and with a smile of affection he raised the 
head of his golden scepter and extended it toward her. 

‘‘With majestic grace, in harmony witli her won- 
derful beauty, she approached and touched her lips to 
the head of the scepter and knelt at his feet. The 
king saw anxiety marked upon her countenance ; the 
unusual brilliancy of her eyes showed that she was 
enduring deep mental suffering, and he knew that 
something of great importance had led her thus to 
appear before him uncalled. 


ESTHER’S FEAST. 


205 


Witli tender tones he said to her, ‘ Wliat wilt thou, 
Queen Esther? and what is thj request? it shall be 
even given thee to the half of the kingdom.’ 

“ Delighted at the reception accorded her, and yet 
trembling lest she might make a mistake, for so much 
depended upon the impression she made on him, she 
answered, ‘If it seem good unto the king, let the 
king and Hainan come this day unto the banquet 
that I have prepared for him.’ 

‘‘ Xerxes was pleased with the invitation, and, turn- 
ing to one of his chamberlains, said, ‘Cause Hainan 
to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said.’ 
In a second the eunuch had noiselessly passed out of 
sight ; then, with a low obeisance before the king, 
Esther and her maidens, preceded by Hatach, re- 
turned to her palace. 

“ Esther was not dependent on the king for reve- 
nues to support her estate, for by the laws of the 
realm a certain ample income was granted her as 
queen, and thus she was able from her own pos- 
session to entertain the king as handsomely as she 
chose. 

“ The chamberlains who attended to her commands 
were as assiduous in endeavoring to please her as 
they would have been had the word come direct from 
the king, for should the queen express the first com- 
plaint of inattention on their part their speedy death 
would follow. Favor, and even life, could only be 
retained by the officers and servants of the royal 


206 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


household by the most careful and 2)rompt service 
which was in their j^ower to render. 

“ Xerxes ate but one meal a day, as was the custom 
witli all the nobles of Persia, but they sjjent several 
hours at tlie table, and gave tlie most careful attention 
to the variety and quality of the food set before them. 
The king had as his cooks the most ^^roticient in the 
kingdom in tlie art of 2)re2)aring the various foods lie 
relished, and his taste was developed as a fine art. 
Ilis bread was made only from the wheat of Assos, 
his wine came only from the vineyards of Ilelbon, 
his water was brought in silver fiasks from clear and 
sparkling mountain springs or from the head-waters of 
the river Chospes, which was considered especially 
sweet and pure. The salt he used was from the oasis 
of Ammon, and each pi*ovince in turn delighted to 
send its earliest and choicest products to appear on 
his table.* 

“To 2^rovide a jfieasing feast for him was therefore 
a very difficult task. But Esther had carefully 
studied his tastes, and had commanded her servants 
who presided over her kitchen to learn from the cook, 
taster, and cup-bearer of the king every little peculi- 
arity of his choice. In his own palace the hair- 
dressers and eunuchs who attended to his robing pre- 
pared the king with more than ordinary care for the 
banquet. When he was ready Ilaman was summoned 
from the corridor where he had been waiting, and 

^Rawlinsou’s Stven Monarchies^ vol. ii, p. 351. 


ESTHER’S FEAST. 


207 


preceded by the master of ceremonies the king, fol- 
lowed by his favorite and his fan-bearer, passed 
tlirough the intervening court to tlie palace of the 
queen. The same kind of elegance which character- 
ized the apartments of the king also prevailed in this 
apartment. Marble floors, marble pillars, ceilings or- 
namented with designs in gold and silver, curtains 
exquisitely woven in brightest colors, and arranged to 
give the proper shading to the light falling into the 
room ; couches made of solid silver and covered 
with upholstered work from the softest fleece produced 
by the flocks on the Median plains; rugs beneath 
these couches so thick and so soft as to serve as 
springs to the couches — such were the luxurious at- 
tractions of this handsome room. In front of the 
couch for the king’s use were spread Sardian rugs; 
in front of the queen’s was a rug made by her own 
maidens almost equal to the Sardian in attractiveness ; 
at the foot of the table a couch somewhat lower than 
those of the king and queen, and handsomely fur- 
nished, was placed for Hainan’s use. The curtains of 
the room were so arranged as to form aisles, so that 
without any disturbance of the guests the servants 
mifirlit attend to their duties. 

When the approach of the king was announced 
Esther, wearing on her brow the jeweled crown, ad- 
vanced to meet him, while her seven maidens sang a 
song of welcome, in which they praised the glory and 
majesty of the king, the greatest of all kings that 


208 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

had ever lived, and whose glorious majesty would 
never be surpassed. 

‘‘When the queen, the king, and Ilaman had taken 
their places on their -couches a gentle odor stole 
through the i*oora, so delicate in quality that even the 
king was surprised at its unknown but pleasing sweet- 
ness. Then almost like a vision there came into the 
apartment from the curtained aisles groups of the 
most beautiful maidens in the queen’s household 
clothed in robes of such delicate texture that they 
seemed to rival the spider’s web in fineness. These 
fairest of maidens had their arms and bosoms deco- 
rated with the most brilliant jewels. In their hands 
they carried musical instruments, upon which they 
played as they gracefully danced before the queen 
and her guests. Then gathering in one group in the 
center of the room, while their bright eyes rivaled 
their diamonds in their luster, and their teeth the 
pearls on the king’s brow, they sang such music as 
was unknown beyond the jDalace of the queen for 
sweetness and expression. 

“ The king was charmed by the grace, the beauty, 
and the melody presented to him, while Ilaman felt 
hirnself to be the most favored of all subjects in being 
permitted to witness such beauty as even surprised 
the king. 

“ As suddenly as it appeared the fair scene floated 
away, and in its place came a troup of eunuchs who 
spread the table and placed upon it elaborately carved 


ESTHER’S FEAST. 


209 


clislies of silver and goblets of gold. And while the 
maidens, returning, stationed themselves where they 
could most easily wait on the feasters, the eunuchs 
brought in turn the various courses of the feast. 

‘‘Persian luxury demanded that the abundance of 
food should be a matter of notice, and now the 
eunuchs brought in quantities sufficient to have 
feasted a score of men. The food was the choicest 
that could be obtained. There were slices from the 
hump of the camel, steaks from the wild boar, from 
stags and antelopes ; there were the daintiest morsels 
from partridges, ostriches, and chickens, while carp 
from the palace ponds and trout from the mountain 
streams and oysters from the sea-shore, one after the 
other, tempted the indulgence of the feasters. 

“ In tlie intervals of eating, the queen, who was 
cultured beyond that ever attempted by the Persian 
ladies, in the most charming manner entertained the 
king by stories of war, of famous hunting excursions, 
and by relating the incidents she had learned from 
the ladies of her court of the doings and customs 
observed in the various provinces of the kingdom. 
Xerxes was particularly fond of learning the charac- 
teristic traits of other people, and as Esther led him 
by her description into province after province of his 
kingdom he seemed to see a panorama of his posses- 
sions pass before him. 

“At length the dinner was served, the bread, meat, 
vegetables, and fruits were removed, and the wine 
14 


210 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


banquet followed. As tlie king drank his wine liis 
heart was filled with delight in the loveliness and 
brilliancy of his queen, and he asked her in the most 
cordial tones what her petition might be, for he 
would grant it, even to the half of his kingdom. 

But Esther, knowing a failure would be tlie death of 
her people, replied, ‘ My petition and my request is ; 
if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and 
if it please the king to grant my petition, and to 
perforin my request, let the king and Ilaman come 
to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I 
will do to-morrow as the king hatli said.’ * 

“ Xerxes most willingly granted this request. Such 
a banquet was exactly to his liking, and if the request 
of his queen was so important as to be preceded by 
another such entertainment he would most surely 
grant it to her, for she had been his delight since he 
had chosen her. The beauty of her person, the grace 
of her manner, and the intelligence of her conversa- 
tion were all equally praiseworthy. He therefore re- 
tired to his own palace promising to return on the 
morrow, while Hainan, exalted by the tokens of the 
queen’s favor, hastened home to inform his family 
and friends of his good fortune.” 

Ezra now felt inclined to defer the rest of the story 
until the morrow, but seeing how interested his audi- 
tors were, and that they were eager to know how the 
affair progressed he proceeded with the story. 

* Esth. V, I, 8. 1 


THE ELEVATION OF MORDECAI. 


211 


CHAPTEE XIX. 

THE ELEVATION OF MORDECAI. 

A T /HEX, immediately after the feast, Xerxes 
y y retired to his bed his mind was filled with 
recollections of the day which he vainly tried to 
throw aside. He wondered what could be the cause 
of the queen’s anxiety. Why should she preface her 
request with two elaborate banquets? Had he neg- 
lected any of his duties as king ? Perhaps the records 
of the kingdom might reveal the cause of her solici- 
tation. 

“ He clapped his hands and a watchful chamberlain 
immediately came to the curtained door of his apart- 
ment. The king commanded him to restore the lights 
and call the scribe who had charge of the records. 

After a short interval the scribe appeared, bring- 
ing with him some vases, cylinders, and rolls of parch- 
ment. On the vases and cylinders the records were 
engraved in the cuneiform alphabet, which consisted 
of thirty-six forms expressing twenty-three distinct 
sounds. The records on the parchment were written 
from left to right, as was common with the Aryan 
nations, the words being separated from one another 
by an oblique wedge.* 

* Rawlinsou, vol. ii, p. ;>78. 


212 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

The king: commanded the scribe to read to him 
from the roll of parchment. The scribe handed the 
vases and cylinders to the eunuchs accompanying 
him, and sat down on a mat by the side of the king’s 
couch and read. 

“ It happened that his eye rested on the record of 
the conspiracy in the gate, and thus he read to the 
king how Bigthan and Teresh, the chamberlains in 
charge of the threshold, moved with anger against 
the king because of his judgments, had sought to take 
his life, but that IMordecai the Jew, the wise eunuch 
from Babylon, detecting this plot, had informed the 
queen, and she informing the king the conspiracy 
was foiled and the guilty ones impaled. 

“ The king eagerly listened to this record. In the 
midst of his pleasure with Hainan he had forgotten 
it, and while he recalled the punishment of the cham- 
berlains he could not remember having rewarded 
Mordecai. As the scribe began to read some other 
record the king bade him be silent, except to inform 
him, ‘ What honor and dignity hath been done to Mor- 
decai for this ? ’ 

The scribe readily answered that nothing had been 
done to him for that service. 

‘‘ The king laid his head back upon his pillow, and, 
by a motion of his hand bidding the eunuchs with- 
draw, relapsed into silence. His thoughts were busy 
with what had been read to liiin, and he condemned 
himself for not being just to the faithful one who 


THE ELEVATION OF MORDECAI. 213 

liad saved his life. With a resolve to make amends 
he sank into slumber, and only aroused when the 
light of the coming day spread through his apart- 
ments. 

“ Early rising was the practice in the Persian court. 
As soon as the day dawned the gate was opened and 
the officers entered their places. 

“ When the king had awakened and his various at- 
tendants had dressed his hair, bathed him, and clothed 
him with his robes he went out to his throne-room to 
receive those who sought his presence. Turning to- 
ward his chamberlain who had charge of the outer 
court, he asked, ‘ Who seeketh audience ? ’ To which 
the chamberlain replied, ‘Behold, Hainan staudeth in 
the court.’ The king, glancing quickly toward the 
door, answered, ‘ Let him come in.’ And the king’s 
favorite entered. 

“Hainan had departed from the queen’s palace 
after the sumptuous banquet on the preceding day 
feeling that lordly pride springing from the reflection 
that he was honored above all men by both the king 
and queen. The news of his exalted honor had al- 
ready S2:)read throughout the palace, the gate, and 
Shushan, and as he returned to his own palace the 
officers of the court were more obsequious than ever. 
AYlien, in all his dignity and pride, clotlied in his most 
elegant robes, and wearing jewels of great value, gifts 
he had received from the king, he appeared in the 
gate, a murmur of applause greeted him, and the 


214 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

officers hastened to prostrate themselves before him 
and thus bid for his favor. 

“All but one. Mordecai sat on his rug diligently 
attending to his duties. During his absence of three 
days, the days spent in mourning, his work had gath- 
ered and that was now his care. When Hainan en- 
tered Mordecai gave no sign of recognition; he neither 
joined in the applause nor rose up from his mat, 
neither ceased his work nor even so much as bowed 
his head, but continued as indifferently as if the most 
ordinary menial of the palace was passing before 
him. 

“ The proud face of Hainan flushed with indignation 
at this public insult, and his lips became thin and 
white as ho resolved that Mordecai •should feel- his 
vengeance before the next day had passed away. The 
officers in the gate were no less astonished. Only 
three daj’s before Mordecai had walked the streets of 
the city outside of the gate wailing and lamenting 
and clothed in sackcloth, with ashes on his head, be- 
cause by one stroke Haman had brought about the 
decree for the extermination of all the Jews. How, 
without any change of the edict, he appears in his 
most elegant attire, his hair sweetly perfumed and 
elaborately dressed, and resuming his place in the gate 
insults in the most pointed manner the proud favorite 
of the king, who in the meantime was rejoicing in 
greater honors conferred upon him. 

“ ‘ Ah ! ’ whispers one eunuch to another, ‘ it is 


THE ELEVATION OF MORDECAI. 215 

liis wonderful faith in his God that enables him to 
do it.’ 

Hainan j^assed through the gate, down the broad 
flight of steps, and soon arrived at his own palace. Al- 
ready his courtiers, friends, dependents, and family 
were awaiting his coining, and they received him with 
rejoicings, even though they noticed a slight cloud 
had already gathered on his brow. 

In the spacious reception-hall of his palace he 
seated himself upon a handsome couch. All about 
him were luxurious presents which he had received at 
various times from the king. The very furnishing of 
the room was a proof of the high favor with which 
the king had honored him. 

‘‘Zeresh, his wife, smilingly called his attention to a 
distinguished friend who had just entered the court. 
His sons, proud as their sire, clothed gorgeously, were 
conversing with the guests, slaves were hastening to 
obey the will of their master, and the entire court was 
bright with magnificence and pleasure. 

“When all for whom he had sent were present 
Haman began speaking, and at once all others were 
silent. He began by telling them of the glory of his 
riches, that the gifts showing the favors bestowed 
upon him had made him one of the richest of all the 
princes in the kingdom. Then he recounted the 
course of his progress, how step by step he had arisen 
until now he was promoted above all the princes 
and servants of the king. His eyes glistened with 


210 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

jii’ide as lie turned toward Ids sons, and praised 
Ids wife as the mother of so many strong and noble 
men. Then, as if at the height of favor, ho said, 
‘ Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with 
the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but 
myself ; and to-morrow am I invited unto her also with 
the king.’ * 

‘‘But suddenly a frown gathered on his brow, and 
in a lower tone, with all his boasting gone, he said, 
‘ Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see 
Mordecai the Jew sitting at tlie king’s gate.’ 

“With increasing indignation Ids wife had listened 
as he spoke of the Jew. Then she said, ‘And is it 
so, that the prince whose wealth in gifts from the 
king includes cities and great estates, who by the 
charm of his excellence lias won a place above the 
families of tlie conspirators, above the Achgemenidie, 
and above all the Persians, whom the queen selects 
from all the nobility to invite to her feast — is such a 
one, even the powerful Hainan, who already holds in 
his hands the fate of all the Jews, to distress himself 
about one Jew in the gate ? Nay ! Let a gallows be 
made of fifty cubits high, and to-morrow speak thou 
unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon ; 
then go thou in merrily with the king unto the ban- 
quet.’ 

“ The counsel of his wife was approved by all 
present. Hainan was delighted with it, and sent his 

* Esth. V, 12. 


THE ELEVATION OF MORDECAI. 


217 


chaiuberlaiu to command liis servants to proceed 
without delay to constiTict such a gallows, so that all 
over the city its top might be seen, and that even the 
people in the plain about the city might behold the 
fate of the man who insulted the favorite of the king. 

Hainan then retired to his bed. Before the light 
of day illumined the plains about Susa he arose and 
was elaborately prepared by his hair-dresser and cham- 
berlains for an audience with the king. 

“ At length, followed by his attendants, he went 
along the streets of Slmshan to the gate of the king’s 
palace. Mordecai was already in the gate, for at the 
Persian court all business began with the early streak 
of dawn. With a smile of contempt Hainan passed 
by, and, although the report of his lofty gallows had 
already reached the gate — for his servants made haste 
to spread the tidings — Mordecai gave no sign of fear 
nor desire for favor, but, as on the day before, took 
no notice of Hainan and his attendants as they 
passed by. 

‘‘ Ham an did not have long to wait in the court of 
the king’s palace, and when the summons came for 
him to enter he felt the elation of success inspiring 
him to make his request. As he prostrated himself 
before the king Xerxes abruptly said to him, ‘ What 
shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth 
to honor ? ’ 

“ Surprised at the question, Haman for a moment 
bowed lower than before. The thought flashed 


218 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


tlirougli Ills mind, ‘ This is to sliow the king’s favor 
to me ; he bids me choose liow he shall exalt me.’ 
For a brief moment his mind was dazzled, and at the 
same time he remembered his annoyance at the con- 
tempt shown by Mordecai. Ah ! before he would 
ask for his death he would tantalize him by parading 
in his presence his own further exaltation. 

“ Already he had received honors above those be- 
stowed upon any other man, and it only remained for 
him to select such as in the future could never be ex- 
celled. He had at times cherished the ambition to 
be, just for a moment, like the king ; but there were 
certain laws in regard to the king’s person and a]> 
parel, based on the idea of the sacredness of the king, 
and well understood by the people, whose violation 
would be punished by death. Death was the penalty 
for sitting upon the king’s throne, stepping upon the 
king’s rugs, riding the king’s horse, or wearing any 
garment Gnce worn by the king. One exception had 
been made, for Xerxes himself commanded Artabanus 
to assume the king’s apparel to test the vision con- 
cerning the Greek war. And this exaltation of Ar- 
tabanus was the highest boast his children could make 
of the honors bestowed upon their sire. 

“ Ilaman desired a similar honor, and even greater. 
The opportunity to have his ambition satisfied seemed 
to be at hand, and, with his heart beating wildly with 
exultation, he replied, ‘ For the man whom the king 
delighteth to honor, let the royal apparel be brought 


THE ELEVATION OF MDRDECAI. 


219 


M-hicli the king iisetli to wear, and the horse that the 
king rideth upon, and the crown rojal which is set 
upon his head : and let this apparel and horse be de- 
livered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble 
princes, that they may array the man withal whom 
the king delighteth to honor, and bring him on horse- 
back through the street of the city, and proclaim be- 
fore him. Thus shall it be done to the man whom the 
king delighteth to honor.’ * 

Xerxes listened to the half-concealed joy of the 
proud courtier, while his servants, standing back of 
the throne, were amazed at the audacity of such a sug- 
gestion. 

“ Then the king replied to Haman, ‘ Make haste, 
and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, 
and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at 
the king’s gate : let nothing fail of all that thou hast 
spoken.’ f 

Thus suddenly Ilaman fell from the highest ex- 
altation of pride to the depths of chagrin and dismay. 
Ilis bubble had burst, and all the cravings of his am- 
bition, like an air-castle, were blown to the ground by 
the fierce breath of the king’s command. With 
flushed cheeks and staring eyes he received the com- 
mand. By a powerful effort he suppressed his emo- 
tions, for he knew that if he showed the least sign of 
remonstrance or of hesitation the king might severely 
punish him, and he bowed the lower to conceal the 
* Esth. vi, 7-9. f Estli. vi, 10. 


220 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


nngiiisli of liis feelings, and then arose quickly to de- 
part from the king’s presence and obey the command. 
The chamberlains of the king followed him into the 
court, one to prepare the royal horse, one to obtain 
the royal robes, and one to inform Mordecai of his 
honor. 

As the king’s chamberlain entered the gate, 
which was crowded with courtiers, nobles, and gen- 
erals, and approached Mordecai those who knew of 
Ilaman’s threats thought the summons had come to 
prepare him for death ; but no, the chamberlain pros- 
trated himself before Mordecai. 

“ The astonishment increased as another chamber- 
lain entered followed by eunuchs bearing the mag- 
nificent robes which the king had worn but a few 
days before when he reviewed his Immortals in the 
plain below Shushan. Still the astonishment increased 
when another chamberlain entered, leading the king’s 
horse with the royal crown upon its head. The ex- 
citement of the nobles reached its highest mark when 
llaman appeared, and, prostrating himself before 
Mordecai, requested him to arise that he might clothe 
him with the king’s robes and place him on the 
king’s horse, to show all the people the exaltation 
with which the king honored him. 

“ When all was ready the king’s trumpeters sounded 
their trumpets, and, with a loud voice, llaman pro- 
claimed, ^ Thus shall it be done to the man whom the 
king delighteth to honor.’ 


THE ELEVATION OF MORDECAI. 


221 


‘‘ This is the way Mordecai appeared. He sat upon 
a horse that was pure white in color, of great size and 
spirit, for it was of the famous Eissean stock, and 
was chosen for the king because it surpassed all other 
horses in beauty and in grace of motion. The har- 
ness was of the finest silk set with costly gems and 
adorned with gold. Xerxes was a man of great size, 
but Mordecai was small, fleshy, and beardless. The 
king’s robe completely covered his body from the neck 
to the heels, the purple contrasting with the white 
color of the horse, and the gold embroidery of the 
robe harmonizing with the gold on the harness. 
Around his waist Mordecai wore the gold-banded 
girdle to which was suspended the king’s dagger in its 
sheath of lapis lazuli. On his head was a tiara of ex- 
ceeding beauty, with the blue and white fillet en- 
circlin<2: it, and on the head of the horse the crown 
royal, made of gold and ornamented with the most 
precious gems, which glistened as it rested on its cush- 
ion of softest velvet.* TIaraan, clothed in. his most 
beautiful robes, walked in front of the horse, and as 
he went arrested the attention of the crowds which 
had been attracted by the sounding of the trumpets by 
declaring the honor of Mordecai. 

‘‘As soon as they returned to the gate the royal 
chamberlain took possession of the kingly trappings, 
Mordecai modestly resumed his station, and Hainan, 

* Descriptions from the ruins of the ancient Persian palace decora- 
tions. 


222 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

covering liis head with his robe, filled with despair, 
rushed home to declare his woe to his wife and friends. 
As he related to them the story of the elevation of 
Mordecai they were filled with alarm, and said to him, 
‘ If Mordecai bo of the seed of the Jews, before whom 
thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against 
him, but shalt surely fall before him.’ * 

‘‘ Terror seized Haman, for he knew this was most 
probable, but he could say no more nor gi ve way to his 
grief, for his servants announced, ‘The king’s eunuchs 
have come to conduct you immediately unto the ban- 
quet that Esther hath prepared.’ ” 

It was now quite late, but we all felt that we could 
not depart with the story broken olf at tliis point. We 
begged Ezra to continue, and, yielding to our en- 
treaties, to our great joy he consented, and told us of 
the fate of the wicked Hainan. 


*Estli. vi, 13. 


HAMAN’S DESTRUCTION, 


223 


CHAPTEE XX. 

HAMAN’S DESTRUCTION. 

T J AMAX accompaiued tlie king’s chamberlain 

1 1 with a heavy heart, not knowing wliat event 
might mark the next turn of the wheel of fortune, 
hoping for honor, yet apprehensive of calamity. As 
they passed through his palace gardens Ilarbonah, the 
king’s chamberlain, noticed the lofty cross erected for 
the impalement of Mordecai. 

“Ilarbonah was perplexed. Tlie vicissitudes of 
court life could not be anticipated, lie knew of the 
rivalry of these two royal favorites, and he did not 
wish to offend the one who should possess power in 
the end. Hence he said nothing. 

“ The queen’s banqueting-room .was on the side of 
her palace which opened into her gardens by spacious 
door-ways. In these gardens were cultivated the 
most beautiful flowers known to men. This was 
the month of roses, and the rose-trees growing beside 
gusliing fountains bore thousands of richly perfumed 
flowers. The fruit-trees also were covered with rich 
blossoms — for the spring had opened auspiciously — 
and the odor of the blossoms was enjoyed by flocks of 
birds caroling their joyful songs, and thousands of in- 
sects humming continually their gladness. 


224 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


“ The gardens of Susa were earlier in ripening tlian 
the gardens of Babylon or of Sardis, and the queen not 
only took pride in the fruits and flowers of her garden, 
but surprised the king by placing before him fruits 
which had just ripened in the climates far south of 
them, these fruits having been sent to her by her 
countrymen in those parts. In the banquets it seemed 
as if all the loveliness of the kingdom was contribut- 
ing to the king’s pleasure. 

“ The maidens attending the queen were even love- 
lier in their appearance than before, and while some 
sang the most tender songs others brought in trays of 
choicest fruits, such as oranges, cherries, and straw- 
berries. 

“ But it was in the wine banquet that the climax of 
loveliness was attained. The exhilaration of the wine 
helped them to feel the tenderness of the songs the 
more dee2:)ly; and the beauty of the maidens, the 
splendor of the matchless queen, the sweet odors of 
the palace, all combined, aroused the generosity of the 
king, who said as he fondly looked upon his beautiful 
wife, ‘ What is thy petition. Queen Esther ? and it shall 
be granted thee : and what is thy request ? and it shall 
be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.’ * 

‘•Ilarnan, too, was wondering what tliat request 
could be. lie had regained his gladness of heart, for 
in the feasting he had been honored as greatly as 
before. And he understood that the exaltation of 
* Esth. vii, 2. 


IIAMAN’S DESTRUCTION. 


225 


Mordecai had not been intended for a blow at him- 
self. Not a word or sign bad been given by which he 
could imagine mischief against himself, and his soul 
was resting in sweet delight, produced by the beauty, 
grace, and melody of the queen’s banquet. 

“The king, reclining on his couch, with swelling 
j)ride and generous intention, was gazing upon his beau- 
tiful companion with increasing fondness, when the 
smile fled from her countenance and tears started from 
her eyes. She seemed to try to subdue her sobs, as, 
clasping her hands before her breast, she looked im- 
ploringly into the eyes of tlie king and said : ‘ If I 
have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please 
the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and 
my people at my request : for we are sold, I and my 
people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. 
But if we had been sold for bondmen and bond- 
women, I had held my tongue, although the enemy 
could not countervail the king’s damage.’ * Then 
she covered her face with her hands and vainly tried 
to control the flood of tears. 

“ The king, startled, amazed, and indignant, rose 
up from his couch and in tones of direst import 
quickly asked, ‘ Who is he, and where is he, that durst 
presume in his heart to do so ? ’ 

“ Esther pointed toward Ilaman, who, sitting at the 
lower end of the table, was wondeiing at these words, 
and, as her eyes flashed with the indignation she 

*Esth. vii, 3, 4. 


15 


226 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

could no longer conceal, she said, ‘ The adversary and 
enemy is this wicked Ilaman.’ 

For a moment the king seemed stunned ; then it 
came back to his memory how Haman had obtained 
the decree from him. ^Tow, too, he learned what 
probably he did not before know, that Esther was of 
the Jews, and that Ilaman had led him to decree the 
destruction of an innocent people, of Mordecai, who 
had saved him from assassins, and of his own queen, 
who was the joy of his life. 

“ Overwhelmed with emotion and unable to speak 
from the fury of his wrath, he left his couch and 
went out into the garden to regain his composure. As 
he paced the marble walks he was unconscious of the 
beauty about him. Flowers offered their colors, blos- 
soms their fragrance, and birds their melodies in vain. 
He was stricken with the treachery of the man he 
had chosen as his most intimate friend, a man who 
had sought the life of the queen and would perhaps 
try the next time to destroy the king himself. 

Having slightly cuinposed himself, he returned to 
the banqueting-room. 

‘‘As Xerxes passed out of the room Ilaman caught 
the expression of his eye and saw in it the look which 
meant no forgiveness. Terrified, ho arose from his 
couch and stood up before Esther to plead for his life. 
But she turned scornfully away from him, for he was 
the murderer of her people. Then he fell down on 
the floor at the foot of her couch, and imploringly 


HAMAN’S DESTRUCTION. 


227 


stretched his hands upon the couch, as if to compel 
her to listen to his pleadings. At that moment the 
king entered and saw this action. His wrath blazed 
forth with all the fury of which he was capable as he 
shouted, ‘ Will he force the queen before me in tlie 
house ? ’ 

“Before anotlierword could be spoken tlie eunuchs 
took hold of llaman’s mantle and with it covered his 
face. This was his sentence of death. 

“ Harbonah, standing by the window of the palace 
overlooking Shushan, saw in the garden of Hainan’s 
j)alace, elevated above the wall of the palace, the 
cross intended for Mordecai. He called the king’s at- 
tention to it, saying, ‘ Behold also the tree fifty cubits 
high, which Hailian had made for Mordecai, who 
had spoken good for the king, standing in tlie house of 
Haman.’ Xerxes followed the direction of Harbo- 
n all’s gaze, and, seeing the cross, quickly said, ‘ Hang 
him thereon.’ * 

“ The eunuchs at once removed the condemned man, 
and before the hour had passed away the maidens of 
the queen, looking from their palace windows, saw 
the body of Haman in the agonies of impalement dy- 
ing upon the cross he had erected for Mordecai the 
Jew. 

“ It was some time before the king was able to re- 
cover his composure. This entire affair was so full 
of surprises, and his confidence had been so wickedly 
* Estli. vii, 9. 


228 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

betrayed, that he needed reflection to enable liiin to 
see clearly just how he was situated. But in a few 
moments Esther ceased her weeping, arose from her 
couch and cast herself into his arms, and as he fondly 
caressed her she told him the remarkable story of her 
life. 

She told him that she was of one of the noblest 
families of the Jews. In early life, liaving lost both 
mother and father, Mordecai, her cousin, had become 
a father to her. In the seclusion of his palace she 
grew to maturity, known only by her own people. 
Among them the females were not restrained, as 
among the Persians, but only kept from the gaze of 
strangers. When the maidens were sought for the 
king Mordecai sent her to Hege, net mentioning the 
people she was of, and in his mercy tlie king had 
chosen her. 

“ ‘ Yea,’ said the king, ‘and I will keep you, for I 
prefer you above my chief joy.’ 

“ At the mention of Mordecai the king remembered 
how greatly he was honored in the gate for his wis- 
dom, his Arm manliness, and his truthfulness. There 
was no virtue more admired in the Persian court 
than truthfulness, and this element of Mordecai’s 
character had won for him the esteem of all the 
nobles. 

“ The king swiftly dispatched a chamberlain to call 
Mordecai into his presence, and when he had come 
took his signet-ring from his Anger, the same ring he 


HAMAN’S DESTRUCTION. 


229 

liad allowed Haman to use, and, giving it to Mordecai, 
elevated him to he the royal favorite and adviser. 
He also made a decree that the palaces, gifts, cities, 
estates, slaves, eunuchs, and concubines which he had 
given Haman should be taken from his heirs and be- 
come the property of Esther. The queen at once 
appointed Mordecai manager of these possessions. 

‘‘In the meantime two months passed by, the 
blossoming, flowery months of spring, in which the 
slumbering energies of nature were awaking to new 
life and adorning the whole earth with beauty. It 
was the season for the opening of navigation on the 
rivers, of commerce on the highways, of granting the 
privileges of the quarries and forests, of planning 
campaigns for the troops, and the beginning of new 
building enterprises. The king was very busy, and 
his duties led him from Shushan to meet his deputies 
in the city of Babylon. As his visit there was pro- 
longed Esther became the more concerned for the 
safety of her people. She hailed the king’s return 
with gladness, and when he reached Shushan, without 
waiting for a formal summons to appear, clothed her- 
self in her queenly raiment, and, accompanied by 
her eunuchs and seven maidens, went into the court 
of the king’s palace, and falling down at his feet with 
tears besought him to put away the mischief of Haman 
the Agagite and the device by which he had put in 
danger the lives of all the Jews. 

“ The king stretched forth his scepter, and Esther 


230 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

arose. Standing before liim in queenly dignity, she 
said, ‘ If it please the king, and if I have found favor 
in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, 
and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to re- 
verse the letters devised by Hainan the son of Harn- 
medatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the 
Jews which are in all the king’s provinces : for how 
can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my 
people ? or how can I endure to see the destruction of 
my kindred? ’* 

“ The king was in great perplexity, for it was be- 
yond his power to recall a promise or annul a decree 
once made. In all his public actions the possibility 
of his doing a wrong or making a mistake could 
not be entertained. When Yashti was dethroned he 
could not reinstate her, and when the wife of Masistes 
was asked for he could not refuse, but was compelled 
to allow her to be sacrificed on the altar of jealousy. 
And now, although the life of his beloved queen was 
at stake, he could not annul the decree. lie saw no way 
out of his difficulty ; but knowing Mordecai was wise 
in judgment, and that he miglit find a way of over- 
coming the wrong, he said to Esther and Mordecai, 
‘Behold, I have given Esther the house of Hainan, 
and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because 
he laid his hand upon the Jews. Write ye also for the 
Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal it 
with the king’s ring : for the writing which is written 
* Esth. viii, 5, 6. 


HAMAN’S DESTRUCTION. 


231 


in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, 
may no man reverse.’* 

“ The queen and Mordecai now retired, and Mor- 
decai at once wrote the decree, ‘ that in every city 
of the kingdom the Jews on the day appointed in 
Hainan’s decree should arm themselves and gather 
together to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and 
to cause to perish all the power of the people and 
province that would assault them, both little ones and 
women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.’ 

“This decree was made on the twenty-third day of 
the third month, and was sealed with the king’s seal, 
and was ordered to be published as quickly as possi- 
ble in every province of the kingdom. 

“ Anxious to win the favor of Mordecai, and stimu- 
lated by the anxiety of the king, all the officers of the 
kingdom hastened to spread this decree and to pre- 
pare the royal forces fo stand by the Jews. The 
couriers went forth, some on mules, some on camels, 
some on young dromedaries, every-where carrying joy 
to the Jews and dismay to the avaricious, who had 
hoped for their destruction. 

“ The Jews for nearly three months had been 
mourning, but now they engaged in feasting, and in 
gratitude for the renewal of favor sent gifts to one 
another. 

“The ten sons of Hainan had inherited their fa- 
ther’s pride, and to be suddenly cut down was more 
* Esth. viii, 7, 8. 


232 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

tlian they could peacefully endure. Tliey proposed 
to stand by the edict their father had obtained from 
the king, and if possible to wreak vengeance on their 
father’s destroyer. They had palaces in Shushan 
and in various parts of the kingdom, where they had 
been stationed with their troops. They had followers 
over whom they used all their influence and authority, 
appealing to their fidelity, their love of splendor, of 
wealth, and the prospect of return to favor, to slaugh- 
ter the Jews without mercy. 

“ The ten sons of Hainan were conspicuous for the 
excellence of their training. Parshandatha was con- 
secrated to Persian glory; Dalphon was distinguished 
for his arrogance, Aspatha for his horsemanship, 
Poratha for his chariots, Aridatha for his liberality 
in bestowing gifts, Parrnashita for his honors, 
Arisai for his victories, Adalia and Aridai for their 
generous giving, and Yajezatha for his swiftness, 
being as swift and powerful as the wind.* 

‘‘The combination against the Jews, headed and 
worked by these men, threatened their destruction, 
although tlie king’s second edict stripped much of the 
power from tlie haughty sons of Hainan. The king’s 
second edict secured to the Jews’ favor the Persians, 
who cared not if the idolatrous, sensual, avaricious 
people throughout the kingdom were slaughtered. 

“ When, after nine months of separation, the day 
came, the contest raged with great fierceness, partic- 

* Lange on Esther, p. 90, note. 


HAMAN’S DESTRUCTION. 


233 


ularly in Sliuslian, where the sons of Hainan concen- 
trated their strengtli. But they were slain, and their 
followers, to the number of five hundred in Shushan, 
three hundred in Susa, and seventy-five thousand 
throughout the kingdom. After the battle, to com- 
plete the disgrace of Hainan’s family, the bodies of his 
sons were taken and impaled where all the people 
might see the king’s detestation of such duplicity and 
villainy as their sire had manifested. 

“Our people showed a noble spirit by refusing to 
touch the property of their enemies. They were not 
fighting for spoil, but for the right to live as peaceful 
subjects of the king. 

“How, young men, this is the event commemo- 
rated by the Purim feast which we have just enjoyed, 
and you can understand why Mordecai’s name has 
been upon every tongue and his praise lias inspired 
every shout. God be praised in sparing him to us ! 
Soon he will be gathered to his fathers, but his, deed 
in saving his people will be honored forever.” 

As Ezra thus spoke he laid his hand lovingly on 
Mordecai’s shoulder and gazed upon him with affec- 
tionate regard. Mordecai w^as leaning upon his staff 
and seemed absorbed in his own refiections. We were 
convinced that it required alibis power of self-control 
to restrain his emotions. For several moments all 
were silent. Then Atarah said : “ It is now very late, 
and we old men are not accustomed to be deprived of 
our rest so far into the night. I am sure if we now 


234 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

send the joiing men home Nehemiah will not only 
receive them to-morrow evening, but will also tell 
them how efficiently Mordecai served as prime minister 
of Persia.” 

We liastened to apologize for our forgetfulness of 
the infirmities of age, and begged to retire with the 
assurance suggested bj^ Atarah. Nehemiah cordially 
agreed to it, and we vrerit to our homes, the older 
men remaining to share the hospitalities of Nehemiah. 

The following evening, when we were all together, 
Nehemiah redeemed his promise as follows. 


MORDECAI AS PRIME MINISTER. 


235 


CHAPTER XXL 

MOm^ECAI AS PRIME MINISTER. 

^ I better class of people rejoiced in the deliv- 
1 erance of the kingdom from Haman and his 
followers. They were gratified in seeing the king 
advance in honor and power one whose abilities were 
so well known and whose life was so pure and up- 
right. In the king’s court he was honored as much as 
Haman had been, for all the servile courtiers worshiped 
the office more than the man. Yet tlie kindness and 
urbanity of his nature won the best men of the king- 
dom to his friendship. When he appeared among 
the people he was clothed similarly to the king. He 
wore a robe of fine linen, pnrple in color, with blue 
and white trimmings, and upon his head a crown of 
gold. 

The discovery of the queen’s nationality and the 
elevation of Mordecai brought about a revolution in 
the current thought of the kingdom. It was a polit- 
ical revolution because it was the elevation to the high- 
est position under the king of a man who had not a 
drop of Persian blood in his nature, but, on the con- 
trary, a member of one of the smallest races within 
the kingdom — a people torn from their native heath 
in a small mountain district near the western sea and 


23o THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOxM. 

transplanted to the principal subject city of the king- 
dom, from which the more active had spread abroad 
throughout the kingdom seeking wealth. 

“ Mordecai was not a soldier, nor were his people ; 
since the captivity they were distinguished ratlier for 
cultivating the arts of peace. The glory of the Per- 
sians was the opposite to this ; it was in their splendid 
military armament and in the power with which they 
overawed the nations about them. But now the gen- 
erals and military heroes bowed before the man of 
peace and learned from the activity of his thought 
true greatness. 

It was a social revolution, because the queen, be- 
fore whom all the ladies of the kingdom bowed, was 
of this same unknown race, and through the excellence 
of her qualities had won and retained her place as the 
first lady in the kingdom. 

“In the days of Darius the social status of the 
kingdom had been determined. First were the king’s 
household, his kinsmen, the Achsemenidae, and the 
families of the seven conspirators ; second, were the 
Persian nobles and the heroes of Media; third, were 
the Persian people and the Medes, and then in varying 
order came the subject nations. But now the head of 
society was a Jewess, before whom the ladies of the 
king^s household and all the Persians bowed their 
faces. 

“ It was also a commercial revolution, because it 
gave a new light to the lives and the characters of the 


MORDECAI AS PRIME MINISTER. 


237 


people who controlled the lines of commerce through- 
out the kingdom. 

‘‘It was a literary revolution, and this became a 
basis for the influence of the Jews in the directions 
already indicated. The question now popular was, 
‘Who are the Jews, the people of Queen Esther and 
of Mordecai, the prime minister ? ’ Mordecai gathered 
about him distinguished representatives of his people, 
and the answer to the historic question was made plain 
to all. From Babylon came such men as Ezra, a scribe 
of priestly family, and Iddo, myself, Hanani, and 
many other ardent students. 

“ The king had no cause to regret his choice of 
Jews, for Ezra, keenly searching the history of his 
people, was able to present to the king and the court the 
chronicles of his nation, properly arranged and edited 
most . carefully by his own skill and indefatigable 
exertion. He brought to light the ancient books of 
Moses and the records Samuel wrote of the period 
of the Judges. He took the fragmentary chronicles 
of David’s scribes and prepared the history of our 
people from the close of Samuel’s records. He 
gathered up the poetry of our people, the written 
prophecies, and the wise words of Solomon, until he 
astonished the king and the .kingdom at the glory of 
the Jews in the ages past. 

“ The story of Abraham going from Hr of the 
Chaldees to the promised land, of Joseph as next to 
Pharaoli in Egypt, of Samuel, wdio slew Agag the 


238 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

Amalekite, ancestor of Hainan, of David, the prince 
of warriors, and the deeds of David’s inightj men, 
thrilled the Persian nobles with appreciative respect 
for that race, while the beauty, tenderness, and at 
times awful force of the psalms and prophecies 
awakened the admiration of Persia’s learned men. 

Tlius the years passed away. The work Ezra was 
doing was necessarily slow. It required much search- 
ing of records, and much traveling, but the king's 
favor was granted him, and the archives of all the 
cities of the kingdom which might throw light upon 
the subject were opened for his inspection. 

“The Jewish youths at the court, patronized by 
Esther and Mordecai, daily associated with the sons of 
the king, and Artaxerxes and myself became firm 
friends as we grew up togetlier. 

“ The king, too, the more earnestly cultivated the 
building instincts of his race and erected the grandest 
j^alaces which his nobles had ever seen. He now 
completed at Persepolis, nearly midway between the 
northern and southern edges of the great palace plat- 
form, and not far from the rock wall of the mountain 
back of it, the hall of a hundred columns.* 

“The building consisted of a single magnificent 
chamber, with a portico* and guard-rooms in front, of 
dimensions quite unequaled in any other structure 
on the platform. The portico was a hundred and 
eighty-three feet long and fifty-two feet deep, and 

* Rawlinson, vol. ii, p, 395. 


MORDECAI AS PRIME MINISTER. 


239 


was sustained by sixteen pillars, each thirty-five feet 
high, arranged in two rows of equal numbers. The 
great chamber behind this portico was a square of 
two hundred and twenty-seven feet, an area of fifty- 
one thousand feet. Over this vast space were dis- 
tributed at equal distances from one another one 
hundred columns, each thirty-five feet high, in ten 
rows of ten each, thus each pillar standing nearly 
twenty feet from any other. The four walls inclos- 
ing this hall had a uniform thickness of ten and a half 
feet, and were pierced at equal intervals by two door- 
ways exactly opposite one another and looking down 
an avenue of columns. In the spaces of wall on either 
side of the door-ways — eastward, westward, and south- 
ward — were three niches, all square-topped and bear- 
ing the ornamentation universally common to such 
places in Persian palaces. In the northern or front 
wall the niches were replaced by windows looking 
upon the portico, excepting toward the angles of 
the building where niches were retained on account 
of the guard-rooms occupying the corners of the 
portico. 

The building was richly ornamented with sculpt- 
ures. In the door-ways placed at right angles to the 
front wall were figures of soldiers armed with spears 
and shields. On the jambs of the great doors leading 
out upon the porch was represented the monarch 
seated under a canopy, accompanied by five attend- 
ants, while below him were his guards in five rows of 


240 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

ten each, some armed with spears and shields, others 
with spears, short swords, bows and quivers. 

‘‘ On the doors at the back of the building the 
throne appeared elevated on a loftj platform, the 
stages of which, three in number, were upheld bj 
figures in different costumes representing the natives 
of all the different provinces of the empire. The 
portico was flanked on either side bj a colossal bull 
standing at the inner angle of the antse, and this in 
some degree narrowing the entrance. 

‘‘The columns of this wonderful hall were fluted 
and with complex capitals. The walls were built of 
massive blocks, many of them ten feet square and 
seven feet thick. 

“ The king was not content with this, but proceeded 
to build a wonderful palace, the pillars of which 
should exceed in grandeur all that he had ever beheld. 
The palace was three hundred and fifty feet long and 
two hundred and forty-six feet broad. It consisted 
of pillars arranged in four groups, the largest a 
square of thirty-six pillars in six rows of equal num- 
bers, covering an area of twenty thousand feet. On 
three sides of this square — eastward, northward, and 
westward — were magnificent porches, each consisting 
of twelve columns in two rows, in line with the pillars 
of the central cluster. These porches stood at a dis- 
tance of seventy feet from the main building and en- 
tirely separate from it. Each of them was a hundred 
and forty feet long by thirty broad. 


MORDECAI AS PRIME MINISTER. 


241 


‘‘ Wliat wonderful pillars these were ! They were 
each sixty-four feet in heiglit, tapering slightly to- 
ward the top. They were made of several drums of 
stone carefully joined together and secured at tlie 
joints by an iron cramp in the direction of the column 
axis. They were beautifully fluted along their entire 
length, tlie number of incisions or flutings being 
about fifty in each pillar. The flutings were arcs of 
circles, very exact and regular. 

“ The bases of the pillars were bell-shaped and orna- 
mented with a double or triple row of pendant lotus- 
leaves, some rounded and some narrowed to a point. 
The capitals of the pillars were of three kinds. Those 
of the side colonnades consisted in each case of a sin- 
gle member, formed in the eastern colonnade of two 
lialf griffins with their heads looking in opposite 
directions, and in the western of two half bulls ar- 
ranged in like manner. The capitals of the pillars in 
the northern colonnade, which faced the great sculpt- 
ured staircase and constituted the true front of the 
building, were composed of three distinct members : 
first, a sort of lotus-bud accompanied by pendant 
leaves, then, above that, a member composed of vo- 
lutes like those of the Ionic order, but placed in a 
perpendicular instead of a horizontal direction, and at 
the top a member composed of two half bulls, exactly 
similar to that which formed the complete capital of 
the western group of pillars. The pillars of the great 

central cluster were exactly like the northern. 

16 


242 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

“This beautiful palace was for the purpose of a 
summer throne-room, the colonnades being for tlie 
use of the rojal guards. It was roofed in, and the in- 
terior most elaborately and richly furnished with cur- 
tains of various colors extending from pillar to pillar. 

“Here was the climax of luxury and the most 
amazing splendor. The king was so pleased with it 
that in Susa he had a duplicate of it erected, in which 
he could astonish the visitors from foreign countries 
by the culture and luxury of his surroundings. 

“The change in the tone of court life caused by 
the elevation of Mordecai did not prove to be of a 
lasting character, for it was contrary to the fixed 
tendency of Persian life. The love of luxury had 
become too thoroughly seated in their natures, and the 
custom of wine banquets had become so essential a 
part of their deliberations that tliey could not be 
summarily laid aside. Although the king honored 
Mordecai, and gave him valuable presents and great 
power, he gradually drew away from his personal in- 
fiuence and yielded more and more to indulgence in 
his favorite wines. 

“At length, gradually, without any particular dis- 
composure of the court, changes were effected. Mor- 
decai felt that his work was done. Wearied with the 
burdens of years of active service, he was permitted 
to retire laden with wealth and honors. In order to 
get out of the circle of political intrigue and excite- 
ment he came here to the city of his fathers to spend 


MORDECAI AS PRIME MINISTER. 


243 


the remaining years of liis pilgrimage in worshiping 
the Lord in liis temple and in doing good to his 
brethren.* May the Lord grant that we may have 
liim with ns many years to bless us by his wise coun- 
sels and cheerful faith ! ” 

“ Amen and amen,” we all heartily responded. 

‘‘ Queen Esther realized that age was touching her 
beauty, and that the capricious king was being pleased 
more and more by younger and more sparkling com- 
panions. She was not ambitious to hold her sway 
over the others, nor to crave the adulation of the 
court. She, too, felt that her work was done, and 
with a sense of relief withdrew from public life into 
the quiet luxury of her own palace, where she calmly 
received the summons from her Lord and God to 
enter her eternal home, having won the crown of 
faithfulness in her service here below. 

“The building of temples and palaces brought into 
prominence religious factors vitally antagonistic to 
the strict doctrines of the Jews; and as the Persian 
ideas regained their influence over the court the Jews 
retired to Babylon, where, forming a large community, 
they worshiped according to the law and the prophets. 

“Artabanus, a brilliant and ambitious Hyrcanian 
noble, and commander of the Immortals, won the 
favor of the king, and was given the place vacated 
by Mordecai. In the palace a favorite eunuch, the 
artful, truculent Aspamitres, obtained the power. 

* Tradition. 


244 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


“ With these changes the wine-cup passed more 
freely, the dissipations of the courtiers increased, and 
though warlike mutterings were heard from the shores 
of the western sea the king remained indifferent to 
them and became the more deeply engrossed in the 
pleasures for which his court was famed. 

“ But we have not heard from Atarah for some 
time. Brother, will you tell us something more 
about the wars? We have almost lost sight of your 
warlike master, the king’s favorite, Megabyzus.” 

Atarah smiled and said, “ To-morrow I will enter- 
tain the young men.” 

Wlien on the morrow we assembled Atarah said, 
“ I will now tell you about Themistocles.” 


THEMISTOCLES, THE ATHENIAN. 


245 


CHAPTER XXII. 

THEMISTOCLES, THE ATHENIAl^. 

^ \ "^IIE Athenians, undismayed by the immense 
1 resources of the Persian king, determined to 
wrest from his control all the Greek cities and pre- 
vent him from making further conquests in Europe 
and in Asia Minor. Cimon, the son of Miltiades and 
the rival of Themistocles, by his insinuating methods, 
patience, persistence, bribes, and the faculty of mak- 
ing the most out of seeming reverses, had become the 
admiral of the Athenian navy and chief instigator of 
the war against Persia. 

“ The Persians were greatly annoyed by the cease- 
less attacks of the Athenians, and with shame were 
compelled to report to the king their inability to sup- 
press the few Greeks assailing them. Such reports 
increased the dissatisfaction with which Xerxes al- 
ready looked upon his military officers, for he plainly 
saw that they were allowing the glory of the kingdom 
to trail in the dust.* 

“When the Persians, commanded by the king’s 
kinsmen, had seized the city of Eion, upon the river 
Strymon, and were greatly harassing the Greeks, 
Cimon went against them, defeated their forces, shut 
‘‘■Pkitarcli, p. 322. 


24G THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

tliein np in the town, dislodged tlie Thracians, who 
liad supplied tlie Persians with provisions, kept so 
strict a watch over the country that no convoys could 
escape him, and reduced the town to such straits that 
Elites, the Persian general, in despair of relief, set 
fire to the town, and himself, with all his followers 
and all their substance, perished in the flames. Such 
was the brave and noble spirit of the Persians when 
j)ut to the test.* 

‘‘ The Greeks then advanced, drove the Persians 
out of Thrace, and determined to drive them out of 
all Europe. At Sestos and Byzantium great numbers 
of the Persians were captured. When the victors 
were ready to divide the spoil they asked Cimon to 
make the division. He did so by stripping all the 
prisoners and placing them naked on one side, and all 
their clothes, armor, and ornaments on the other. 
The Greek allies complained that it was not fair, the 
shares were not equal. But the Athenians gave them 
their choice, and for themselves received the naked 
men. 

“Cimon was ridiculed for this, because the allies 
had received chains of gold, rich collars and bracelets, 
robes of scarlet and purple, wdiile the Athenians re- 
ceived only naked men not even fit for slaves. But 
a short time afterward the friends of these men 
in Phrygia and Lydia sent large sums for their 
ransom, from which Cimon purchased four months’ 
* Plutarch, p. 323 


THEMISTOCLES, THE ATHEXIAN. 247 

provisions for his ships, sent a quantity of gold to 
the Athenian treasury, and pursued the Persian forces 
with inveterate hatred, not suffering them to take 
breath, but ravaged and laid waste all the country 
subject to them except those parts which joined the 
Grecian league. In all that part of western Asia 
but one place was able to resist his attacks ; that 
was the city of Doriscus, which was defended by 
Mascames. 

“Xerxes was so greatly pleased with the loyalty 
and*' ability of Mascames that he commended him 
above his other generals and sent him a handsome 
present every year as a token of his appreciation. 
The Persian army and navy at length assembled at 
the river Eurymedon, under the general command of 
Ariomardus, the son of Gobryas. The land forces 
were commanded by Pherendates, while the fleet was 
commanded by Tithraustes. 

“When Cimon learned of their rendezvous he set 
sail from Cnidus and Triopium with a fleet of two 
hundred galleys which Themistocles had constructed 
in so light a manner as to turn with the utmost agil- 
ity. Cimon widened them, and joined a platform to 
the deck of each, in order that in the time of action 
there might be room for a greater number of com- 
batants.* 

“Although the Persians had three hundred and 
fifty Phenician ships they waited for re-enforcements 

* Plutarch, p. 324. 


248 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOJI. 


and declined the battle. Cimon, however, at once 
pressed npon them with such desperation that he 
completely defeated their fleet and captured two hun- 
dred of their vessels, then landed his forces and 
attacked the Persian army. 

“ The Persians met him bravely and fonght desper- 
ately, killing many of the most distinguished of the 
Athenians. But at length the Athenians prevailed. 
The Persians were defeated and their richly furnished 
camp taken. Then Cimon re-embarked, put to sea, 
met the eighty Phenician ships coming to the assist- 
ance of the Persians, attacked them with vigor, and 
destroyed them. 

“ In taking account of the results of these battles 
Cimon leaiaied that he had twenty thousand captives, 
nearly two hundred vessels as prizes, and immense 
stores of plunder. Moreover, he had annihilated the 
Persian power in that part of Asia. 

“The Athenians were jealous of their individual 
equality in the government of their city, and resented 
the ambition of any citizen to become great or power- 
ful. When there were a number of these ambitious 
men they destroyed each other by their rivalry, the 
unfortunate ones, by ostracism, being sent into ten 
years’ banishment. 

“ Thernistocles secured the ostracism of Aristides, 
named the Just, but Thernistocles fell before the 
rising power of Cimon. 

“Pausanias, who commanded the Greeks when 


tiie:,iistocles, the ATHENIAX. 240 

they defeated the Persians so completely at Plat^ea, 
Avas the intimate friend of Themistocles. Pausanias 
was trying to make a secret treaty with the Persians 
by which he would be made the king of all Greece. 
When Themistocles had gone into Argos after his 
banishment Pausanias mentioned his plans to him 
and invited liim to join in tlie undertaking. But the 
Athenian rejected the overtures and determined to 
have nothing to do with treachery. The plot was 
discovered and Pausanias fled to the teinjde of Mi- 
nerva to escape death. The angry people surrounded 
tlie temple, and, when he refused to come forth, 
walled it up, his own mother laying the first stone. 
When nearly dead Pausanias gave himself up, but 
too late to save liis life, and he expired as soon as he 
had got out of the temple. 

“ The enemies of Tiiemistocles now accused him of 
being concerned in this plot, and to save his life he 
was compelled to hide himself until he could secretly 
leave the country. He was beset by enemies on 
every hand. At length, after many adventures he 
arrived safely in Asia. He ran great risk in tliis be- 
cause the king of Persia had offered a reward of two 
hundred talents for his apprehension. He succeeded 
in reaching the town of Hlgse, where no one knew 
him but Hicogenes, a man of great wealth and hav- 
ing influence at the Persian court, who took advantage 
of the custom of hiding the women of Persia from 
the common gaze to save Themistocles. He was put 


250 THRILLING SCLXES IX THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

into a close carriage, liis attendants being instructed 
to say that they were carrying a Grecian lady from 
Ionia to a nobleman at court. Ilis carriage did not 
attract unusual attention, for this was the ordinary 
way in which beautiful Ionian ladies destined to be 
concubines at the Persian court were conveyed to 
their masters. Themistocles was sent to an Eretrian 
woman, who was at this time in the palace of Artaba- 
nus, the king’s favorite, and slie used iier influence 
to win for the refugee the favor of Artabanus. 

‘‘She succeeded in persuading tlie king’s favorite 
to see the Greek who had come as a suppliant to the 
Persian tin-one. But tliis appeal seemed to be the 
extreme of rashness, for at this time the court was 
thoroughly incensed against every thing that was 
Greek because of the recent serious defeats of tlie 
Persian forces. When admitted to tlie presence of 
Artabanus, Themistocles said he was a Greek who 
knew of matters of great importance which the king 
himself had much at heart. 

“ Artabanus saw that he was no ordinary man, for 
he carried himself with the manner of a king, and, 
treating him with respect, replied : ‘ The laws of men 
are different ; some esteem one thing honorable, and 
some another ; but it becomes all men to honor and 
observe the customs of their own country. AYitli 
you the thing most admired is said to be liberty and 
equality. We have many excellent laws, and we re- 
gard it as one of the most indispensable to honor the 


THEMISTOCLES, THE ATHEXIAX. 251 

king and to adore him as the image of that Deity who 
preserves and supports tlie universe. If, therefore, 
you are willing to conform to our customs, and to 
prostrate yourself before the king, you may be per- 
mitted to see him and speak to him. But if you 
cannot bring yourself to tliis you must acquaint him 
with your business by a third person. It would be 
an infringement of the custom of his country for the 
king to admit any one to audience that does not wor- 
ship him.’ 

“ Themistocles knew this beforehand, and did not 
hesitate to answer, ‘ My business, Artabanus, is to add 
to the king’s honor and power ; therefore I will com- 
ply with your customs, since the god that has exalted 
the Persians will have it so, and by my means the 
number of the king’s worshipers will be increased. 
So let this be no hinderance to my communicating to 
the king what I have to say.’ 

‘‘Artabanus replied, as he gazed with increasing 
interest on the man, ‘ But who shall we say you are ? 
for by your discourse you appear to be no ordinary 
person.’ 

“ Themistocles knew that if he declared his name 
he would probably ruin his plans, and replied as if 
he meant to especially honor the king, ‘Nobody must 
know this before the king himself.’ When Artabanus 
gave the king an account of the stranger he expressed 
his desire to see him, and commanded that he be 
* Plutarch, p. 103. 


252 


THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


admitted immediately. The chamberlain of the king 
at once went into the outer court and led the Greek 
before the throne. 

“The Greek maintained a calmness of demeanor 
and a grace of action that revealed his familiarity 
with the courts of kings. In the proper manner he 
approached the throne and, kneeling before the foot- 
stool of the king, bowed his head until his lips 
touched the footstool, then gracefully arose, stepped 
backward a couple of paces, and stood with his hands 
thrust into his sleeves, awaiting the king’s further 
pleasure. The king’s interpreter, upon command of 
the king, asked him by what name he was known, 
and the Greek replied : ‘ The man that is now come 
to address himself to ^mu, O king, is Themistocles the 
Athenian, an exile persecuted by the Greeks. The 
Persians have suffered much by me, but it has been 
more than compensated by my preventing your being 
pursued when, after I had delivered Greece and 
saved my own country, I had it in my power to do 
you also a service. My sentiments are suitable to my 
present misfortunes, and I come prepared either to 
receive your favor if you are reconciled to me, or, if 
you retain any resentment, to disarm it by my sub- 
mission. Peject not the testimony my enemies have 
given to the services I have done the Persians, and 
make use of the opportunity my misfortunes afford 
you rather to show your generosity than to satisfy 
your revenge ; if you save me you save your suppli- 


THEMISTOCLES, THE ATHENIAN. 253 

ant ; if you destroy me you destroy the enemy of 
Greece.’ 

“ Themistocles then related the vision lie had seen 
while in the house of IN^icogenes that influenced him 
to come to the king, which was this : ‘ lie went to 
bed and dreamed he saw a drasron coilins^ round his 
body and creeping up to his neck, which, as soon as 
it had touched his face, was turned into an eagle, and, 
covering him with its wings, took him up and carried 
him to a distant place, where a golden scepter ap- 
peared to him, upon winch he rested securely and 
was delivered from all his fear and trouble.’ * 

“ He also told the king of an oracle he had re- 
ceived of Jupiter of Dodona, which ordered him to go 
to one who bore the same name with the god, from 
which he concluded he was sent to him, since both 
were called and really were great kings. He then 
prostrated himself again and awaited the king’s 
answer. 

“ The king and his courtiers were greatly aston- 
ished as the suppliant proudly announced his name. 
For some moments the king could not speak for 
amazement. In a short while he dismissed the Greek 
and assigned him to the care of the royal guards. 
He then ordered a sumptuous bancpiet, to which he 
summoned his counselors and nobles and expressed 
before them all his gratification in having Themisto- 
cles within his power. He also offered sacrifices to 
*PlutHrcli, p. 102. 


254 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

the gods, and prayed Aliriman, tlie god of darkness, 
to continue his enemies in their infatuation of driv- 
ing from them their ablest men. When he had re- 
tired to bed he started up in his sleep three times, 
shouting, ^ I have Themistocles, the Athenian ! ’ In 
the morning, when arrayed for his throne, he sent 
messengers to again call his counselors, and nobles 
about him, and then he sent for Themistocles. 

When the guards heard the name of the visitor 
they treated him with rancor, and loaded him with 
reproaches. Even when the king had seated himself 
upon the throne Roxanes, one of the officers, whis- 
pered to him with a sigh as he passed, ‘ Ah ! thou 
subtile serpent of Greece, the king’s good genius has 
brought thee hither.’ 

“ Themistocles inferred from this that he would 
be condemned to death by the king. When he en- 
tered the royal presence he prostrated himself twice, 
then arose to receive judgment. But, to his aston- 
ishment, the king spoke to him with a gracious 
voice, saying, ^ Verily I owe you two hundred talents, 
for, since you have delivered yourself into my 
hands, it is but just that you should receive the 
reward offered to any one that should deliver to me 
Themistocles.’ 

“ Then in a very kindly manner he promised him 
much more, assured him of his protection, and in- 
vited him to freely declare whatever he had to pro- 
pose concerning Greece. 


THEMISTOCLES, THE ATHENIAN. 255 

Thernistocles was overjoyed, and replied : ‘ A 
man's discourse is like a piece of tapestry, which, 
when spread open, displays its figures, but when it is 
folded up they are hidden and lost. If it please tliee, 

0 king, to grant me a year’s time, I will learn the 
Persian language and be able to converse with thee 
without tlie mediation of an interpreter.’ 

“ The king was delighted with the comparison, and 
bade him take all the time he wanted ; meanwhile he 
should enjoy the royal favor and the friendship of the 
nobles of the court. 

“Xerxes manifested his magnanimity by extending 
a cordial welcome to the exiles of other countries, 
particularly to those from the Greek states. At this 
present time there were dwelling at his court a num- 
ber of prominent men, among them Demaratus the 
Spartan. In honoring these men, however, the king 
offended some of the ambitious noblemen of Persia. 
Artabanus, his prime minister, became jealous of their 
influence and fomented the spirit of discord among 
the noblemen. They were offended because the king 
did not punish all these Greeks for the injuries in- 
flicted by them on the fleets, armies, and cities of Per- 
sia. Learning the extent of this dissatisfaction, Arta- 
banus determined to vindicate the honor of Persia by 
destroying the king and mounting the throne himself. 

“ Since it is now late we will retire and to-morrow 

1 will tell you how this conspiracy culminated.” 

It now becomes my duty to ask the j)ard()n of the 


256 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KLNGDOM. 


reader. This is the reason : In rewriting this narra- 
tive this part of it was somewhat blurred, and where I 
could not make it all out I wrote from my recollec- 
tion. "When I read the account to one of my com- 
panions, Shebaniah, a most learned and conscientious 
man, he said : ‘‘ Ahban, I think you have made a mis- 
take. If I remember ariglit, Themistocles came to 
Persia when Artaxerxes was king, in the early part 
of his reign, and not in the closing part of the reign 
of Xerxes, and that account of his rece})tion should 
be to the lionor of Artaxerxes.” 

I was greatly perplexed by this, for surely histo- 
rians ought to be of the same mind. I do not like to 
question the accuracy of any statement made by She- 
baniah, and yet I cannot think my own impression is 
wrong. This has been a great trouble to me. I have 
therefore written to two of the most learned histo- 
rians of Greece, Ileraclides and Thucydides, and lo ! I 
am in as great doubt as ever ; for Ileraclides sus- 
tains my position and Thucydides sustains Shebaniah’s 
position. AYhat, therefore, shall I do? 

Yerily I will do this — state the facts of the case 
and let each reader decide for himself. When we 
trust to our memory we are liable to err, and I de- 
serve to be blamed for not preserving the original 
record so that it could not be blurred. I will there- 
fore ask the rulers of onr city to provide a strong 
and safe place to preserve inviolate all the records of 
our people. Ah ban, the Scribe. 


ARTAXERXES BECOMES KING. 


257 


CHAPTEE XXIIL 

ARTAXERXES BECOMES KING. 

W HEN we were again together Atarah began 
liis narrative by saying : The time seemed 
auspicious for such a deed as Artabanns contemplated. 
Tlie usual intimate companions of the king were away 
from Shushan, and the arch-conspirator held all the 
approaches to his majesty in his own hands. Ilys- 
taspes, the eldest son of the king, was in his province, 
Bactria, so far away that he could not possibly inter- 
fere. Darius, the second son, was of so feeble char- 
acter that no one feared his presence or his efforts. 
The third son, Artaxerxes, was only a youtli and oc- 
cupied the subordinate position of one still in training. 
Megabyzus, my master, the son-in-law of Xerxes, 
having married Amytis, the king’s daughter, was 
away from Shushan. Hence there was no one at 
hand of sufficient influence to discover or counteract 
the conspiracy. 

Artabanns w^as not only the favorite of the king, 
having ready access to his apartments at all times, but 
w^as also the commander of the Immortals, the ten 
thousand guards of the throne. Such was his influence 
over them that they were thoroughly obedient to his 

commands, and he did not doubt but that they would 
17 


258 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

obey him before they would the king. lie also had 
abundant opportunities to bribe the avaricious eunuchs 
who served within the palace. 

“ Tlie hatred of Amestris had never ceased. Se- 
clusion only deepened her desire for revenge. Her 
powerful kinsmen would at least refrain from inter- 
ference, while she would cordially support any move- 
ment that would elevate to the throne one of her 
sons. Artabanus could not succeed without the help 
of these, and he clearly saw that to succeed at all 
he must seem to act for the elevation of another, 
lie therefore chose to favor the boy Artaxerxes. 

“ Xerxes lingered at his wine banquet enjoying the 
stories his nobles were telling. lie was in a merry 
mood and felt well disposed toward every body. He 
did not think of treachery. Since the peace of the 
kingdom had been secured by Mordecai he trusted 
his followers implicitly. He knew that Artabanus 
had arranged the royal guards so that no one without 
his leave could approach him. His faithful eunuchs 
were never more careful to attend to his wants or to 
shield him from tlie least inconvenience. 

“ He drank freely, for he loved his wine and de- 
lighted in the intoxication it produced. He could 
not forget, however, the wmrds which Mordecai had 
repeated to him, words uttered by one of tlie prophets 
of his people : ■ ‘ Woe unto them that rise up early in 
the morning, that they may follow strong drink ; that 
continue until night, till wine inflame them ! And 


ARTAXERXES BECOMES KING. 


259 


the harp and the viol, the tabret and pipe, and wine, 
are in their feasts.’^ ‘Woe unto them that are 
mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle 
strong drink.’ f And those words of the wise king, 
‘ Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and who- 
soever is deceived thereby is not wise.’ 

“ The king evaded these words by saying, ‘ They were 
good for the Jews, and Mordecai was a believer in 
Jehovah; now, if he had been a Persian, he would 
have loved Ilaoma, and would have sung his praises ; ’ 
hence he drank the more deeply. 

“At length his eunuchs took him from his chair, 
carefully divested him of his robes, and laid him in 
his bed, and silence prevailed in the palace. 

“ The silence was broken by two men cautiously 
approacliing the bed upon which the king lay sleep- 
ing. (3bserving that he was in deep slumber, they 
threw themselves upon him, and pressing pillows upon 
his face prevented any cries for assistance. They did 
not relax their efforts until suffocation was complete. 
When sure that he was dead they withdrew as quietly 
as they had come. 

“When the morning dawned the eunuchs went to 
the king’s bed as usual to prepare him for his throne. 
When they discovered he was dead the court physician 
was immediately called, who astonished all l)y declar- 
ing that in a severe struggle w'ith some enemy the 
king had been murdered with his pillows. The entire 
* Isa. V, 11. V, 22. t Prov. xx, 21. 


260 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

city was soon in wildest excitement, and the Immortals 
were placed on guard to prevent any outbreak. 

“ While the excitement was at its height Artabanns 
represented to Artaxerxes that Darius, his brother, 
anxious to become king, had committed the foul deed. 
The young prince, believing the charge, was filled 
with indignation, and at once assuming the govern^ 
ment ordered Darius to be put to death, wdiich was 
immediately done by the guards under the command 
of Artabanus. 

“The vigor displayed by Artaxerxes in restoring 
order and taking possession of the throne surprised 
the treacherous Artabanus. He began to fear that if 
the youth continued with so much energy he would 
have the whole realm subject to him and would not 
submit to dictation. He therefore plotted to have him 
put out of the way. 

“ When Megabyzus heard of the crime he imme- 
diately returned to the palace and began to investigate 
the affair. He soon had his suspicions aroused, and 
through one of his eunuchs obtained a clew. It was 
my good fortune to be active in following up this clew. 
For seven months we watched and listened, and were 
rewarded by discovering the entire conspiracy and 
placing the proofs in the hands of Artaxerxes. 

“When the youthful king charged Artabanus with 
the crime the bold assassin drew his sword and at- 
tempted to kill the king. But he had misjudged the 
skill of the youth, for Artaxerxes overcame him and 


ARTAXERXES BECOMES KING. 


261 


put liiin to death. Then he also put to death his ac- 
complice, the eunuch Aspamitres. 

“ The sons of Artabanus now rebelled, and with that 
portion of the army under their command sought to 
carry out their father’s plan ; but Megabyzus was equal 
to the emergency, and with the loyal part of the army 
threw himself upon them, annihilating them in battle. 
Thus he saved the king’s life from Artabanus, and 
also the kingdom from disruption. 

“In the meantime the news had been carried to 
the eldest son of Xerxes, in Bactria, who, considering 
himself the rightful heir to the throne, raised the 
standard of revolt, and with the Bactrians and all 
others who chose to join his forces marched toward 
the capital of the great kingdom. 

“ The Persian army met him in battle, but the fight 
was so terrible that it ended as a draw, neither party 
being able to gain an advantage over the other. A 
second battle was fought. But this time the Bactrians 
were badly posted, and a fierce wind blew in their 
faces so that they could not do their best. In conse- 
quence the Persians defeated them, destroying their 
army and effectually putting a stop to further re- 
bellion. From this time Artaxerxes was firmly seated 
upon the throne of his fathers. 

“ The royal court was now reconstructed, and the 
places formerly occupied by the members of the fam- 
ily of his brother Hystaspes and by the family of Ar- 
tabanus were given to those who were in sympathy 


262 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

witli liis j^lans of government. The power of the 
eunuchs wns overtlirown, and they were tlirust back 
into the position of servants instead of being per- 
mitted to hold tliat of masters. The seven noble 
families, the children of the conspirators, were re- 
established in their original prominence, and the 
queen-mother, Amestris, the Yashti of Xerxes, was 
brought out from her retirement and given a palace, 
in which as queen-mother she received the honors 
and service of the nobles of the court. 

‘‘ The years of seclusion she had suffered had made 
no change in her nature. She was as proud, as unfor- 
giving, as ferocious as ever, and she hailed her return 
to power by an act of vengeance upon the families 
of those who had brought about her dethronement 
such as show^ed the awful malignity of her nature. 

“ She chose fourteen children, the most promising 
in these noble households, and buried them alive as a 
sacrifice to the god that ruled the underworld. For 
every year her life was buried in seclusion she buried 
the hope and pride of a noble Persian family. She 
had waited a long time for vengeance, and now that 
her hour had come she exulted in it wdth all the 
passion of her soul.* 

“ Artaxerxes followed the example of his ancestors 
in selecting his counselors. Cyrus had Croesus for 
confidential adviser, Darius honored Ilistiseus in the 
same way, Xerxes gave special attention to Demara- 
♦Herodotus, vil, 114. 


ARTAXERXES BECOMES KIXG. 


263 


tus, and Artaxerxes tlius exalted Themistocles. lie 
conversed familiarly with him in the palace and took 
him with liim in his hunting expeditions. lie com- 
manded the magi to instruct him in the mysteries of 
their faith, and treated him so generously that quite 
a jealousy was awakened against him among the 
Persian nobles. They saw that the policy of the im- 
petuous young king was being molded by the wise 
old Greek, and that his skillful diplomacy was evident 
in the many court changes which now took place.* 

“ The king introduced Themistocles to the queen- 
mother, and she cordially welcomed to her palace and 
her friendship the man who by his skill as a states- 
man and commander had defeated the largest army 
and greatest armament ever hnown among men, and 
she did not hesitate to give him her confidence as 
well as esteem. 

Artaxerxes carried out his father’s intentions in 
providing for the Greek by giving him the city of 
Magnesia to furnish liini with bread, Lampsaens to 
furnish him with wine, Myus to provide him with 
meat, Percote to supply his chamber, and Palcescepsis 
to sustain his wardrobe. Thus Themistocles was.sur- 
rounded with the most abundant comforts, and, as his 
wife and children had escaped from Greece and had 
joined him, he was made as happy as an exile could 
become. 

The kingjv\^as also friendly to the Jews, for Ids 
* Plutarch. 


264 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

boyhood had been spent while Mordecai was the 
favorite of the king and Esther, the beautiful Jewess, 
not only the beloved of the king, but the recipient of 
honors from all in the court. 

‘‘The head-quarters of Jewish learning was in 
Babylon, and there the faithful Iddo was placed in 
charge of the king’s treasure-house, while our learned 
friend Ezra continued to pursue his investigations in 
the history of his people. 

“ Jewish youths, who had been companions of Ar- 
taxerxes in his boyhood, wei-e given positions of 
honor. Among these was [Nehemiah, wdio was espe- 
cially favored by being exalted to the position of cup- 
bearer. 

“ Megabyzus, because of his high lineage and noble 
deeds, was the most powerful subject in the king- 
dom. For length of service and fidelity to his king 
he was not equaled by any one, and all the nobles 
honored him for his virtues. 

“ The accession of Artaxerxes did not cause the 
splendor of the court to decrease, only it became more 
cosmopolitan, as the leading men of the various prov- 
inces were cordially received by the king and honored 
according to their merits. 

“ The disturbance of political relations was felt 
more particularly in the West, and the Greeks, ever 
ready for an excuse to stir up their neighbors, has- 
tened to take advantage of these events. 

“ The success of the Athenians on the seas and 


ARTAXERXES BECOMES KING. 


205 


tlieir victories over the Persian armies along the coast, 
and the neglect of their western possessions by the 
Persians, stimnlated the leaders of the old monarch- 
ical spirit in Egypt to strike a blow for the freedom 
of their land. 

“ Achgemenes, the uncle of Artaxerxes, whom 
Xerxes had made ruler of Egypt, still retained his 
position, and, from the White Fortress in Memphis, 
exerted his authority as satrap with a firm hand. 

‘‘ Suddenly the flames of revolution broke out all 
over his province. On the north Amyrtaeus, the Egyp- 
tian king, was joined by Charitimis, the Athenian, 
with a fleet which had just defeated the Persians at 
sea, and attacked Achgemenes on that side, while 
Inarus, a descendant of the ancient Saitic Egyptian 
kings, now king of the wild African tribes up the 
Xile, fell upon the Persians from that side. 

‘‘ The battle w^as fought near Papremis, in the 
Delta. The result was a hundred thousand of the 
Persians were slain, and Achgemenes was himself slain 
in a personal hand-to-hand conflict with Inarus. The 
defeated and reduced army of the Persians retreated 
to Memphis, followed by the victorious Egyptians and 
their allies, who shut the Persians in the citadel of 
Memphis and began a regular siege ; but they could 
not drive them out of their fortifications, although 
for the three years of the siege two thirds of the city 
of Memphis was in the hands of those seeking the 
destruction of the Persians. 


2GG THRILLING SCExN'ES IX THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

The success of the Egyptians was so sudden and 
unexpected to the Persian king tliat he was hardly 
prepared to meet it, and liis first move was an act of 
diplomacy to separate the forces opposing him. 

“ First of all he sent Megabyzns to Sparta with 
immense stores of gold to bribe the Peloponnesians to 
make an irruption into Attica, but in this he was un- 
successful, for, although the Greek states were antag- 
onistic and the jealousy of one against the other was 
increasing, they would not destroy each other to en- 
able the Persians to concpier. 

‘‘ Artaxerxes now sent word to Themistocles, who 
was dwelling in the city of Magnesia, enjoying the 
luxury furnished him by the Persian king, to fulfill 
his promises and lead an army into Greece, into At- 
tica, so that the Athenians should be compelled to 
forsake their allies to protect their own country. At 
the same time this request was sent an army and a 
fleet were being prepared to obey the command of 
Themistocles. 

“ The aged Athenian, so mighty in battle and so 
wise in counsel, could not refuse to obey his benefac- 
tor, nor could he wage war against his own people. 
True, they had unjustly exiled him and had sought to 
take his life and ruin his reputation ; but they were 
his people, and he could not engage in war against 
tbem. lie therefore called his friends together and 
sacrificed a bull to his gods, then, taking a large cup 
filled with the blood of the bull, drank it and died. 


ARTAXERXES BECOMES KING. 


267 


Theinistocles displayed true greatness when lie 
tlins refused to survive liis honor : at least so thought 

? O 

the Persian king, for when told of the manner in 
which Theinistocles died he admired him more than 
ever and continued his bounty to his family.* 

Artabazus, the satrap of Cilicia, and Megabyzus, 
who was now the satrap of Syria, were commanded to 
raise a great fleet and an array of three hundred thou- 
sand men, and proceed to the rescue of the Persians 
who were besieged in Memphis. 

“The utmost activity prevailed in the western part 
of the Persian kingdom. All the cities from Babylon 
westward resounded with the din of warlike prepara- 
tions. The king’s highway from Susa to Sardis was 
in constant commotion, as couriers, soldiers, and slaves, 
with great caravans of merchants, assisted in furnish- 
ing the army with implements of war. Every city 
along the coast of Cilicia and Syria was busied in 
the preparations of the vessels of war, and in the cit- 
ies lying back of these the army in sections was being 
drilled and perfected in all the arts of war. Damas- 
cus, Samaria, Tyre, and Sidon were in their glory; 
and the flashing of Persian arms, with the unusual 
flow of Persian gold, gave the people an excitement 
such as they had never known before ; wdiile in the 
plains below the Judean hills the muster and tramp 
of great armies showed the vigor of the Persians. 

“ It was a critical time for the young king. If the 


* Plutarch. 


2G8 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

fortunes of tiie kingdom were not retrieved in the 
early days of his supremacy his rule would be short. 
As he looked back over the history of the kingdom 
he learned how his father and grandfather were com- 
pelled to wdn the respect of the surrounding nations 
by the sword. He was not inferior to them in cour- 
age, and he determined to be equal in deeds. 

I was with my master in Syria at this time, and 
will now rest myself while Ezra tells you how God 
used this period of disturbance to advance the spirit- 
ual welfare of his people.” 


EZRA LEADS THE JEWS TO JERUSALEM. 


269 


CHAPTER XXIY. 

EZRA LEADS THE JEWS TO JERUSALEM. 

\ \ / ^ must remember that God never leaves 
y y bis people alone,” said Ezra, “but con- 
stantly guides their footsteps, altlioiigli they are not 
always conscious of the fact that he is controlling 
them. 

“ In the state of disturbance prevailing in the Per- 
sian kingdom every tiling bearing on the state of the 
countries bordering on Egypt was carefully consid- 
ered by Artaxerxes and his seven counselors. 

The history of our people which I had prepared, 
and with which the king was acquainted, showed 
what a power we could be as keepers of the gate of 
the desert, either for or against Persia in the war 
with Egypt — a power which even Megabyzus feared. 

There had alwavs been a strong desire on the 
part of our leading people to restore the glory of our 
ancient city. No amount of wealth, honors, or polit- 
ical prominence could reconcile us to amalgamation 
with the Persians or with any other foreign nation. 
AVe were a people by ourselves, with a fidelity to the 
religious teachings of our fathers unsurpassed by any 
people on the earth. And at the same time we were 
loyal to the Persian king. 


270 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

Mordecai opened tlie way for ns to manifest our 
fidelity in serving the king, Neheiniali became a great 
favorite with Artaxerxes, Iddo was honored for his 
great worth, and many others in the service of great 
noblemen won for our people as a race the esteem of 
the Persians. 

“ In considering the best means to strengthen the 
outposts of the kingdom some of the counselors 
thought of the great desire we were cherishing, and 
in it saw the way to establish a strong fortress in the 
interests of Persia close to the Egyptian frontier. 
One counselor said to the king: ‘Send Ezra to Je- 
rusalem with tokens of favor and confidence. Make 
him to be governor of his people, with authority to 
reconstruct their social status and establish their laws. 
Make an edict giving permission to all Jews that so 
desire to go with Ezra. A willing migration is bet- 
ter than a forced translation.’ 

“ The king received this counsel favorably. lie 
called me before him and, after some words of coun- 
sel, gave me this decree : 

“ ‘ Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, 
the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect 
and so forth. I make a decree, that all they of the 
people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, 
in my realm, which are minded of their own free 
will to go to Jerusalem, go with thee. Forasmuch as 
thou art sent of the king and his seven counselors, 
to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, accord- 


EZRA LEADS THE JEWS TO JERUSALEM. 271 

ing to the law of thy God which is in thine hand ; 
and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and 
his counselors have freely offered unto the God of 
Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, and all the 
silver and gold that thou shaltfind in all the province 
of Babylon, with the free-will offering of the people, 
and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of 
their God which is in Jerusalem. . . . And whatsoever 
shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren to do 
with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do ye 
after the will of your God. And the vessels that are 
given thee for the service of the house of thy God, 
deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. And 
whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of 
thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, be- 
stow it out of the king’s treasure-house. And I, even I 
Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treas- 
urers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra 
the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, 
shall require of you, it be done with all diligence, 
unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred 
measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, 
and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without pre- 
scribing how much. Whatsoever is commanded by 
the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the 
liouseof the God of heaven; for why should there be 
wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? 
Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests 
and Levites, the singers, porters, N’ethinim, or serv- 


272 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

ants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to 
impose tribute, custom, or toll, upon them. And 
thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God that is in 
thine hand, appoint magistrates and judges, which 
may judge all the people that are beyond the river, 
all such as know the laws of thy God ; and teach ye 
him that knoweth them not. And whosoever will 
not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, 
let judgment be executed upon liim with all diligence, 
whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to con- 
fiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.’ * 

‘‘ As I received this gracious edict from the hands 
of the king I prostrated myself in thankfulness and 
said: ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, 
which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, 
to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusa- 
lem ; and hath extended mercy unto me before the 
king, and his counselors, and before all the king’s 
mighty princes.’ Then, filled with courage, I went 
forth to gather together the chief men of Israel, in 
Babylon and the adjacent cities and plains, to go wdth 
me. It was an occasion for feasting and joy, not such 
banquetings of wine as the Persians indulged in, but 
feasting in which the purity of Jehovah worship was 
manifested in our utterances and our joys. 

“ In the first month of the Jewish year, when spring 
w^as putting forth her beauties, covering the trees 
with blossoms and the bushes with flowers, I led our 

* Ezra vii, 12-26 (Revised Version). 


EZIIA LEADS TilE JEWS TO JERUSALEM. 273 

company of faithful Jews, yearning for tlie land of 
our fathers, out of Babylon. The place selected fer- 
tile rendezvous was at the bitumen springs on the 
Euphrates, eighty miles north-west of Babylon. Here 
we encamped for three days, to organize ourselves for 
the journey and to complete gathering the stores 
needed to take with us. 

“ When a census of the host had been taken I 
learned that there were no Levites among us, and I 
at once sent word to Iddo, at Casiphia, to send me 
Levites. In response two hundred and fifty-eight 
came, led by Ishsechel, a man distinguished for his un- 
derstanding. When these had come I proclaimed a 
fast, in oi’der that all might be in a spiritual frame of 
mind to ask the protection of the Lord upon us in our 
journey. For I had represented to the king tliat no 
armed escoi-t would be necessary, although the whole 
journey would be along roads disturbed by the mili- 
tary forces of the kingdom. We were confident that 
our Lord would witness for himself by protecting us. 

When the period of fasting was ended the treas- 
ures were weighed and committed to chosen men, who 
were made responsible for its safe deliveiy in Jerusa- 
lem. We had six hundred and fifty talents of silver, 
and silver vessels a hundred talents, and of gold a 
hundred talents; also twenty basins of gold, of a 
thousand drams ; and two vessels of fine copper, as 
precious as gold.* 

*Ezra viii, 26. 

18 


274 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

‘‘We were a band of six thousand unarmed and 
peaceful people carrying great treasures along a road 
where armed and excited bodies of men of various 
provinces and nationalities were continually passing. 
It was a wonderful journey. 

“ We left Babylon on the first day of the first month, 
and on the twelfth day Ahava, then we were fully 
committed to the course we had chosen. 

“ We were a spectacle to the people of Babylon. 
They knew our destination. They knew of the treas- 
ures we were conveying. They also knew the dan- 
gers of the road, and they were astonished at our 
fearless trust in God. 

“ The caravans passing along the road were guarded 
by large bodies of troops. Noblemen passing from 
the capital to the western provinces were accompanied 
by brave soldiers for defense. Wp passed repeatedly 
battalions of troops pressing rapidly toward the gen- 
eral rendezvous. We were often forced to encamp in 
places reputed to be the haunts of bold robbers who 
took advantage of the disturbed state of the country 
to prey upon travelers. Some, not knowing us, looked 
upon us with curiosity ; some, who knew of our mis- 
sion, cheered us, and spoke kindly to us as they hur- 
ried on their way. But no one offered us harm. 

“ When we started spring was putting forth her 
luxuriance of fiowers. Nature w\as clothed in beauty. 
We spent four months on the journey. The heat of 
summer passed over us, and the cooling breezes of 


EZRA LEADS THE JEWS TO JERUSALEM. 


275 


autumn were beginning to blow when on the first day 
of the fifth month we entered Jerusalem. 

‘^What a happy entrance that was! We sang 
praises and thanked God, for he had kept us from all 
harm. Every governor through whose territories 
we had passed, upon reading the commission we had 
from the king, aided us and comforted us with words 
of approval, and our own people in Jerusalem received 
uswitli full hearts and outstretched hands. May the 
name of the Lord be praised for ever and ever ! 

“ I have told you the story of our peaceful march ; 
now let us listen to Atarah wliile he tells of the 
dreadful war that followed.” 


276 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CHAPTER XXY. 


WAR AND PEACE. 


TAPAII began by saying : “ I would rather talk 



/V about peace than Avar, and above all would 
rather listen to Ezra telling us about the Lord’s lead- 
ing his people than the marching of the world’s 
grandest armies. But sometimes the march of these 
armies forms a background to the picture of the Lord’s 
purposes working themselves out. It may be so in 
this instance. Look at it closely and see if the Lord 
is in it. 

“After months of preparation the ships built in 
the ship-yards of Tyre, Sidon, the coast cities of 
Cilicia, and in Cyprus were ready to proceed. The 
army of Persians which had been quartered in Jerusa- 
lem, Samaria, Damascus, Hamath, and otlier cities of 
Syria and Cilicia assembled at the general rendezvous, 
from which they began the march by land, following 
the progress of the fleet. 

“ The utmost enthusiasm prevailed. The fleet was 
under the command of Artabazus, while the army was 
led by the greatest of Persian generals, and no ex- 
pense had been spared in thoroughly equipping the 
entire expedition. 

“ When the Egyptians heard of tlie vastness of the 


WAR AND PEACE. 


277 


invading army they feared being entrapped within 
walled cities, and, before the Persians had reached 
Egypt or the fleet had entered the ~Nile, retired from 
the siege of the White Fortress in Memphis and in- 
trenched themselves in tlie island Prosopitis, in Lower 
Egypt. Here they were safe for many months, for 
the Nile began its annual overflow, and gradually 
rose until the whole valley was inundated. During 
this period the Persians could do nothing, but were 
compelled to await the falling of the river before they 
should have a chance for active operation. 

“In the meantime the Persian army would be sub- 
ject to all the climatic affections, fevers, and diseases 
which the peculiar conditions of the country pro- 
duced on natives of otlier lands. There was danger of 
their camp being changed to a vast charnel-fleld. But 
Megabyzus was not ignorant of these dangers, and he 
was not disposed to place his army where it would 
suffer such risks. 

“ This island, Prosopitis, was well situated for the 
protection of the Greeks and Egyptians. It was 
formed by a canal from the Canopic branch of the 
Nile, by which the Greeks had open communication 
with the Great Sea. 

“Megabyzus waited for eighteen months before 
attacking them. He avoided a battle in the plains, 
and during the dry season diverted the water from 
the channel in which the Athenian fleet lay, leaving 
their vessels stranded and useless. 


278 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

‘‘ The Athenians, seeing that they were hopelessly 
caught after a few had escaped to Cyrene, burned 
their triremes. Fifty ships which were sent to their 
assistance were captured by the watchful Phenicians, 
and Inarus, with his nobles, betrayed by his followers, 
surrendered to Megabyzus on condition that their lives 
should be spared. Amyrtseus fled to the fens, the ex- 
tensive marshlands near the mouth of the Nile, and 
gathered about him the warlike people dwelling there, 
and remained unconquered. He made his home on 
an island called Elbo, from which he hoped sometime 
to go forth and drive the Persians out of Egypt. 

‘‘ Megabyzus did not rest until he had reconquered 
all of Egypt but the fens, and had fully restored the 
authority of the Persians in every city. 

“While this war was in progress Cimon, the fa- 
mous Athenian who had always carried victory with 
him, was suffering the punishment of ostracism. It 
was caused by his extravagant praises of the Spartans, 
with whom he was always friendly. When Sparta 
was shaken by a terrible earthquake, and the slaves 
were increasing the general demoralization by an 
attempt to obtain freedom, the Spartans requested aid 
from the Atlienians to suppress the rebellion. Cimon 
persuaded his countrymen to send an army to their 
assistance and save Sparta from her slaves. 

“ At length his praises of the Spartans became un- 
endurable to the Athenians, and they stopped his 
utterances by banishing him. But about- the close of 


WAR AND PEACE. 


279 


the Egyptian war, pressed by defeats, they recalled 
him from banishment and gave him an honorable 
command. 

‘‘The close of the Egyptian war was a. time of 
general prosperity. The Persian court in Susa w^as 
rejoicing in the recovery of Egypt. Megabyzus, 
crowned with laurels as the great conqueror, and pos- 
sessing honors unequaled by any other Persian, was 
ruling with growing power in his satrapy of Syria. 
Under his jurisdiction Phenicia, Samaria, and Judea 
were advancing in wealth and in the comforts which 
peace assured. The Greeks were enjoying the golden 
period of tlieir history. In Judea Ezra was ac- 
complishing the reforms for which he had come to 
Jerusalem. 

“ Let me call your attention to Ezra’s work. When 
he came to Jerusalem and called before him the 
princes of Judah he was informed of the social 
degeneracy wliich had befallen their city. Even the 
priests and princes had disobeyed the commands of 
their ancestors and had united themselves by mar- 
riage to the children of Ham, the original inliabitants 
of the land. 

“ This was more than Ezra could bear, and to ex- 
press his grief of heart rent his garments and mantle, 
plucked off the hair of his head and beard, and sat 
down in the attitude of one amazed until the hour of 
evening sacrifice. 

“ Then he arose, and again rending his mantle and 


280 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

garments fell upon liis knees, and spreading out his 
liands unto the Lord said : ‘ O my God, I am ashamed 
and blusli to lift up my face to thee, my God : for our 
iniquities are increased over our head, and our guilti- 
ness is grown up unto-the heavens. Since the days 
of our fathers we have been exceeding guilty unto 
this day ; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, 
and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the 
kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to 
spoiling, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. 
And now for a little moment grace hath been showed 
from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to es- 
cape, and to give ns a nail in his holy place, that our 
God niay lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviv- 
ing in our bondage. For we are bondmen ; yet our 
God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath 
extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of 
Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of 
our God, and to repair the ruins thereof, and to give 
us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. And now, O 
our God, what shall we say after this ? for we have 
forsaken thy commandments, which thou hast com- 
manded by thy servants the prophets, saying. The 
land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean 
land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the 
lands, through their abominations, which have filled 
it from one end to another with their filthiness. Now 
therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, 
neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor 


WAR AND PEACE. 


281 


seek their peace or their prosperity forever : that yo 
may be strong, and eat tlie good of the land, and leave 
it for an inlieritance to your children forever. And 
after all tliat is come upon us for our evil deeds, and 
for our great guilt, seeing that thou our God hast 
punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast 
given us such a remnant, sliall we again break thy 
commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples 
that do these abominations ? wouldest not thou be 
angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that 
there should be no remnant, nor any to escape ? O 
Lord, the God of Israel, thou art righteous ; for we 
are left a remnant that is escaped, as it is this day : 
behold, we are before thee in our guiltiness ; for none 
can stand before thee because of this.’ * 

“ As Ezra thus made confession and wept before 
the Lord and cast himself down before the sanctuary, 
a great congregation of people gathered about liiiu 
and joined in the weeping, and some of them came 
forward to him and confessed their sin in marrying 
strange wives. 

“ Then Ezra continued liis mourning in the high- 
priest’s son’s chamber, and fasted also. 

“Proclamation was then made throughout all Ju- 
dah, as well as Jerusalem, that all the children of the 
captivity should come together in three days, and if 
any one did not all his substance should be forfeited 
and himself separated from the congregation. When 
*Ezra ix, 6-15 (Revised Yersion). 


282 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

the day came great storms of rain swept over the 
city, but the hosts of people were assembled in the 
broad place before the temple. 

“ Ezra then stood up and pronounced the sinful 
state in which they were living, and they promised to 
turn from their sins. By this time the storm was so 
severe that no more public work could be done, and 
Ezra appointed officers to separate tlie people and 
thoroughly effect this reformation. Thus he accom- 
plished the reformation in Jerusalem. 

“ At this same time Athens 'svas enjoying her great- 
est glory. Pericles was at the head of the govern- 
ment. Speaking of his city and the Athenians of 
this time, he said : ‘ We love tlie beautiful with econ- 
omy ; we pursue wisdom without effeminacy ; we use 
wealth for real occasions, not for ostentatious boast- 
ing. It is no disgrace to any one to confess his pov- 
erty, but it is a shame to him if he do not labor to 
escape it. The charge of public and private affairs 
belongs to the same men, and those wlio are occupied 
with common labors well understand political affaii’s. 
We alone regard the man who takes no interest in 
politics, not as a quiet and harmless person, but as a 
useless one. We do not consider eloquence an ob- 
stacle to the public good ; but we do consider it as a 
misfortune not to be instructed by previous discussion 
as to the measures which we are obliged to undertake. 
For we possess this characteristic above all others, 
that we are at once daring, and accustomed to I’eflect 


WAR AND PEACE. 


283 


on wliat we are about to take in hand ; whereas igno- 
rance gives boldness to others, and reflection induces 
delay. They should be rightly adjudged the boldest 
hearted who, knowing most clearly the terrible and 
agreeable, yet shrink not for this reason from dangers. 
In brief, I may call the city the school of Greece, and 
the citizen of Athens is personally best fitted by vari- 
ety of talent for the graceful performance of all the 
duties of life.’ 

“ This was no idle boast. At this time the histo- 
rians Herodotus and Thucydides were young men ob- 
serving the course of the nations whose glories they 
hoped to perpetuate. Pindar, the poet, was an old 
man, JEschylus had just died, Sophocles and Euripi- 
des were in the prime of life, Phidias was nearing 
old age, and was already distinguished for the excel- 
lence of his workmanship. He was decorating Athens 
and the Acropolis with works of art which may 
awaken the admiration of all subsequent ages. Ci- 
mon was showing himself to be tlie greatest of Athe- 
nian commanders, while Pericles, the statesman, was 
gradually reaching that position in which he could be- 
come the sole ruler of Athens. This was the era of 
great statesmen, poets, sculptors, tragedians, warriors, 
and historians. The philosophers will probably come 
in the next generation. 

“The increasing greatness of Athens prompted 
Cimon to renew his attempt to curb the glory of the 

* Felton’s Lectures, vol. i, p. 30G. 


284 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

Persians, and he led a fleet of two hundred vessels 
against the Persians on the isle of Cyprus. At the 
same time the warlike Egyptian Amyrtseus meditated 
another revolt in Egypt, and induced Cimon to send 
him sixty vessels to assist him ; but this expedition 
failed of accomplishing any thing, and the ships re- 
turned to Cimon. 

“ Cimon now attacked the Persian fleet of three 
hundred vessels commanded by Artabazus the Per- 
sian satrap of Cilicia, and took a hundred vessels, 
destroyed many others, and pursued others to the 
coast of the Phenicians.'^* 

“ Megabyzus at this time was encamped in Cilicia 
with his army of three hundred thousand men. 
Cimon, with his victorious host, sailed toward their 
encampment, and after a desperate battle overcame 
the Persians with great slaughter, then sailed back to 
the siege of Citium in Cyprus. Here he was wounded, 
and died of his wounds. 

“The war between Athens and Persia had now 
been carried on for fifty years, and the superiority of 
the Greeks over the Persians in battle had been re- 
peatedly shown. Artaxerxes, fearing lest the Greeks 
should rob him of the isle of Cyprus, and make it 
a base of operations against Egypt, called together his 
counselors, and sent Megabyzus and Artabazus to 
Athens to propose terms of peace. Plenipotentiaries 
were appointed by each side, and they prepared the 

* Prideaux, vol. i, p, 263. 


WAR AND PEACE. 


285 


following terms of agreement, which were signed 
by both the Greeks and Persians: ‘First, that all 
the Grecian cities in Asia should have their liberty, 
and be left free to live according to their own laws ; 
secondly, that no Persian ship of war should any more 
appear on any of those seas which lie from the Cya- 
nean to the Chelidonian islands — that is, from the 
Euxine Sea to the coasts of Pamphylia ; thirdly, that 
no Persian commander should come with an army 
by land within three days’ journey of those seas; 
fourthly, that the Athenians should no more invade 
any of the territories of King Artaxerxes.’ Thus 
peace was established.” * 

NOTE BY A LATER SCRIBE APPENDED TO AHBAN’S 
NARRATIVE. 

The closing of the war between Persia and Greece 
did not establish the universal peace so ardently 
desired. On the contrary, it opened opportunities 
for each nation to seek employment for their armed 
hosts in other directions. The love of conflict and 
the fomenting influences of ambition still existed in 
their hearts. These would not be suppressed. It 
afforded the Greeks the opportunity for internecine 
quarrels which led to the most disastrous conse- 
quences. 

The jealousy between Athens and Sparta grew into 
a devouring flame. Athens obtained the presidency 
of the Greek confederacy. Every year the Athenian 
*Prideaiix, vol. i, p. 263. 


286 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

admiral sailed round the arcliipelago to receive the 
tribute and to survey the general posture of affairs. 
The weaker nations felt that only the shadow of liberty 
remained to them. At length Athens interfered in 
the affairs of Corinth, and the statesmen of Corinth 
instigated the war against Athens. The Peloponne- 
sians invaded Attica, ravaged the country and laid 
siege to Athens. The Athenians retaliated by ravag- 
ing the coasts of the Peloponnesus. So terrible be- 
came the hatred of the other Greek states toward 
Athens that after many years of war, when her fleet 
and army were destroyed and plague had swept away 
many of her best citizens, and famine was pressing 
hard upon those that survived, and although she 
humbly begged peace of Sparta, the Boeotians and 
Corinthians insisted that the city should be burned 
and all her people sold into slavery. 

The Spartans, however, would not consent to 
this, but spared her enemy. This saved from ruin 
the wonderful works of art which have revealed to 
modern times the glory of ancient Athens. 

Euripides was born in that year when the Atheni- 
ans rose to greatest glory by defeating the Persians at 
Salamis. The year following his death the Athenian 
fleet, the last vestige of her power, was annihilated 
on the Hellespont by Lysander. Thus the rise, glory, 
and decline of ancient Athens was compassed within 
the period of one man’s life. 


NEHEMIAH VISITS JERUSALEM. 


287 


CHAPTEE XXYI. 


NEHEMIAH VISITS JERUSALEM. 

(atarah’s narrative is resumed.) 

HE Persians celebrated the close of the Greek 



J[ war in their usual manner by a series of elab- 
orate feasts and the interchange of valuable gifts. 
Megabyzus resumed his sway as satrap of Syria, and 
at once put his large army in first-class condition, 
both by equipment and training. 

He deserved great praise for the successful man- 
ner in which he had brought the troubles of the 
kingdom to an end, yet in the Persian court there 
were many who wished it far otherwise. The court- 
iers divided into factions and quarreled about him. 
He soon learned that he had lost the favor of those in 
power, and that he could enjoy peace better by re- 
maining in his Syrian capital. 

‘‘ Amestris, the queen-mother, was enraged against 
him, because in the close of the war in Greece he 
had promised Inarus and the Athenians with him 
their lives. She hated Inarus bitterly because lie had 
slain Achseinenes. For five years she importuned 
Artaxerxes daily to put him and his companions to 
death. 

“ Amytis, her daughter, the wife of Megabyzus, was 


288 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

at the court indulging in so licentious a course that 
her husband turned from her in disgust and returned 
alone to his satrapy. 

Artaxerxes at length became wearied by the im- 
portunities of his mother and sister, and gave Inarus 
into their hands. With her usual ferocity Ames- 
tris, gloating in her revenge, hastened to have him 
impaled. 

“ When Megabyzus was informed of this violation 
of a treaty and the contempt with which his promises 
of protection were held, and knew that the king was 
influenced beyond his own judgment by these faith- 
less women, he determined to shake the entire king- 
dom with his wrath. 'No man was ever in a better 
position to assert his independence. He was son-in- 
law to the last king. He had a record for ability and 
bravery unsurpassed. He was commander of an army 
that had forced the Egyptians into submission. He 
possessed a province with resources of the most varied 
character and celebrated for its greatness in the past 
and its wealth in the present. The history of his 
satrapy was sufficient to inflame his most ardent hopes 
of success. It embraced the territory once comprising 
the kingdoms of the Jews, Samaritans, Tyrians, Sido- 
nians, Syrians, Philistines, Damascenes, Canaanites, and 
Ilittites or Ceti. On every hand were the memorials 
of their ancient greatness, and in Hamath were in- 
scriptions revealing the glory of the lost kingdom of 
the Ceti as being equal to that of Egypt in her palm- 


NEHEMIAH VISITS JERUSALEM. 


289 


iest days. lie could establish his capital in Gaza, the 
gate of the desert ; in Tyre, the mistress of the seas ; in 
Jerusalem, the fortress of the hills ; in Damascus, the 
paradise of the desert; in Hamath, the watch-tower of 
caravan routes ; or in Carchemish, the fortified city at 
the forks of the Euphrates. 

Carchemish was the ancient capital of the Ilittites, 
and around its walls terrible battles had been fought. 
It was here that Nebuchadnezzar annihilated the 
Egyptian army under Pharaoh-Necho, after he had 
held it for three years. It was the fortress of the god 
Chemosh, and was supposed to be under his especial 
protection. It guarded the Euphrates, and its walls 
were so lofty and strong as to promise a seat of power 
equal to the ancient days of the Ilittites. AYhy could 
not he build upon this stronghold a capital rivaling 
Shushan, Babylon, or Memphis? Why could not he 
restore the supremacy of the Ceti and from this place 
rule as they did Nineveh and Babylon, and stretch 
his arms to the Arabian desert and along the coast of 
the great blue sea ? As a dream of human ambition 
it was overwhelming in its grandeur. 

“ The city of Jerusalem had been governed so suc- 
cessfully by Ezra that it was once more in an exceed- 
ingly prosperous condition. To furnish supplies to 
the Persians during the five years of their war in 
Egypt every department of productive energ}^ was 
kept in vigorous growth. Flocks, fields, and shops 

flourished as never before, and the benefit fell to every 

19 ^ 


290 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

one in Jndea and Jerusalem. "When tlie Persian 
army withdrew into Syria the people settled down 
into their ordinary routine of life to enjoy tlie wealth 
they had accumulated. Ezra returned to Babylon, for 
his work was done, and the government of the city 
was again committed to the princes wlio had dwelt 
there since the days of Zerubbabel. 

“When Megabyzus rebelled Jerusalem was unwill- 
ingly separated from the dominion of the Persian king 
and became subject to the rule of the usurper. Once 
more the fields were forced to produce their utmost 
capacity, the flocks to give their fleece to clothe and 
their bodies to feed the men in arms. The rich were 
severely taxed, and strong men every-where were 
gathered together to swell the army. The cities of the 
satrapy sent forth their hosts, some willingly, some 
unwillingly, to defend their satrap against the Per- 
sian king. 

“ Jerusalem could not enter into this change of mas- 
ters willingly, for she was bound by the strongest ties 
to the Persian court. The Samaritans, more ready to 
aid the rebellion, vented their spite upon the Jews by 
foraging their fields, desolating their villages, and 
casting contempt upon them whenever they could find 
the opportunity. 

“ Artaxerxes sent Osiris, one of his chief noblemen, 
with an army of two hundred thousand men, to con- 
quer Megabyzus and bring him to court. But Mega- 
byzus met him with his well-disciplined army, defeated 


NEHEMIAH VISITS JERUSALEM. 291 

him in battle, wounded him, took him prisoner, and 
put his entire army to flight. Artaxerxes sent a her- 
ald to demand the liberation of Osiris, and when his 
wounds were healed Megabyzus sent him to tlie king. 

“ The next year tlie king sent another army against 
the rebel under the command of Menostanes, one of 
his brothers ; but Megabyzus defeated him, van- 
quished the Persian army, and won a great victory. 

‘‘ The king was now convinced that it was impos- 
sible to subdue Megabyzus by force of arms. This 
shows how favorably the Jews, Samaritans, the na- 
tive races of the land, and the people of the northern 
cities of the province compared with the brilliant 
Medes, Persians, Babylonians, and Assyrians in battle. 
The king now sent an embassy, consisting of Artarnis, 
his brother, Amytis, his sister, the wife of Megabyzus, 
and several of the Persian nobles to reconcile Mega- 
byzus and to bring liim in peace to the royal court. 

Megabyzus yielded to their entreaties, gave up his 
rebellion, was pardoned by the king, and resumed his 
place at the king’s court. The province was again 
united to the kingdom, the officers retained their 
places, the army of the satrap was disbanded, and the 
royal posts re-established. But in the demoralization 
which had taken place Jerusalem had severely suf- 
fered and had lost all she had gained during the 
prosperity attending the Egyptian war. 

“ The restoration of peace enabled the Jews to visit 
their brethren in Babylon, which privilege had been 


292 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

intermitted during this war. As soon as peace was es- 
tablished Hanani, the brother of the king’s cup-bearer, 
with several of the men of Judah, went to the Persian 
court from Jerusalem and reported to Nehemiah the 
distress their city was in. They said, ‘The remnant 
^ that are left of the captivity there in the province are 
in great affliction and reproach : the wall of Jerusalem 
also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned 
with fire.’ * 

“This was sad news to IN^ehemiah, for he earnestly 
desired that the city of his fathers should enjoy a 
degree of prosperity equal to other cities of the king- 
dom. He well knew that the war between the prov- 
ince and kingdom would enable the enemies of Judah 
to injure her, but how much she did not know until 
informed by his own brother, who was a witness to all 
the injuries which had been inflicted upon his city. 
Filled with distress Nehemiah passed several days in 
mourning, fasting, weeping, and in offering prayers 
unto God. 

“ Wlien the time came for him to serve the king at 
his feast of wine the traces of his abstinence and sor- 
row were plainly visible on his face. This feast of the 
king was with the queen by his side. The king was 
reclining upon his silver couch at one side of the table, 
and was about to receive the cup of wine from the hand 
of his favorite cup-bearer. The queen was sitting upon 
a chair of state, near his feet, facing him ; she, too, had 
* Neh. i, 3. 


XEIIEMIAH VISITS JERUSALEM. 


293 


a cup filled with wine in lier hand. About the table 
were the fan-bearers, who prevented flies or other in- 
sects from annoying the royal pei*sons, and the various 
eunuchs, who were standing at respectful distances 
awaiting the commands of their master. 

“ It was contrary to the custom of the court for any 
one to be in waiting when not in a proper frame of 
mind or not properly robed, and the sharp eyes of the 
king detected the unusual seriousness in the expres- 
sion of his cup-bearer. 

‘‘ But the king spoke with tenderness, saying, ‘ Why 
is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick ? this 
is nothing else but sorrow of heart.’ 

“^lehemiah was alarmed at this remark of the 
king, but he answered, ‘Let the king live forever: 
why should not my countenance be sad, when the 
city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchers, lieth waste, 
and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?’ * 

“ The king valued his cup-bearer as a man unsur- 
passed for lofty and pure character, and he was ready 
to grant him any favor he might ask except a pro- 
longed absence from the court. Knowing that he had 
received information of the state of Jerusalem, which 
city Ezra had left in so prosperous a condition, and that 
he was distressed because the ravages of war had .deso- 
lated its borders, and that it was a prey to every 
wdcked invader, he gave him authority to go to Jeru- 
salem to build it again, and to demand of the king’s 
*Xeh. ii, 2, 3. 


294 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

officers in that part of the kingdom whatever assist- 
ance he might need. 

“ In princely style, with armed horsemen attending 
him, and showing him the respect due a favorite of 
the king, Hehemiah went from the royal court to 
Jerusalem. At every stage of the journey where he 
rested for the night the officials of the kingdom 
hastened to render prompt and willing service. The 
governors of the cities along the route received him 
as one possessing great power with the king, and no- 
where did he meet with lack of attention or with an 
unwillingness to advance the object of his mission 
until he came into the territory of the governor of 
Samaria, who was the persistent and jealous rival of 
any one who sought the good of Jerusalem. 

‘‘ It grieved Sanballat, the Moabite, who had risen 
to such power as to be intrusted with the chief author- 
ity in Samaria, and equally as much his obsequious 
attendant, Tobiah, the Ammonite, that any one, ])ar- 
ticularly so magnificent a personage as the lordly 
hlehemiah, should seek the welfare of the children 
of Israel. Immediately after he had made liis pur- 
poses known Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshein, the 
Arabian, began to plot some scheme by which they 
might introduce a suspicion into the mind of the king 
that Nehemiah was intending to rebel against him, 
aspiring to be a second Megabyzus. 

“ When they sought to annoy him by their question- 
ings Kehemiali said to them, ‘ The God of heaven, he 


NEHEMIAH VISITS JERUSALEM. 295 

will prosper us ; therefore we his servants will arise 
and build : but ye have no portion, nor right, nor me- 
morial, in Jerusalem.’* 

‘‘While Neheniiah was at Jerusalem the court of 
the king was again excited bj an act in which Mega- 
bjzus violated the law of the chase to save his sover- 
eign’s life. The king was enjoying a grand hunt and 
had with him the favorite nobles of his court. They 
succeeded in arousing a lion, which turned on them, 
so close to the king that he stood on his hinder legs 
against him to strike him. The aged general, seeing 
the king’s danger, although he knew that in hunting 
no one should cast his dart before the king had cast, 
cast his dart, slew the lion, and saved the king’s life. 
Artaxerxes made this a pretext for punishing the of- 
fender. He sentenced him to death, but his mother 
Amestris, and his sister, Amytis, pleaded so effectu- 
ally that he commuted the sentence to banishment, 
and Megabyzus was sent to Cyrta, a place on the Red 
Sea, to spend the rest of his life in confinement. 
Without an army at his command even the powerful 
Megabyzus was helpless.” 

Atarah was evidently greatly attached to Megaby- 
zus, for, while giving this account of the injustice 
done him, by his voice and manner he manifested his 
indignation. It seemed strange to us that Megabyzus 
should be condemned to banishment when .the act 
upon which that decree was made had saved the 
*Neh. ii, 20. 


29G THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


king’s life. But it showed liow mere impulse con- 
trolled in the courts of kings, and that great crimes 
were often overlooked when little violations of eti- 
quette were severely punished. 

We were now quite anxious to learn how Nehemiah 
succeeded in Jerusalem, and he kindly consented to 
relate the story. We listened attentively as he spoke 
as follows. 


CONQUERING DIFFICULTIES. 


297 


CHAPTER XXYIL 

CONQUERING DIFFICULTIES. 

T THOROUGHLY understood tlie plottings of 

J- the enemies of Jerusalem and inferred that 
they would soon resort to the most injurious methods 
to stop the work for our people. 

“ Gathering about me my chosen companions, I 
arose in the night and as secretly as possible went out- 
side of the ruins of the wall and examined the con- 
dition of the wall, the gate, and the debris. Then I 
returned to my palace and immediately sent out an 
appeal to all the people to aid me in the work. The 
people, inspired with fresh courage by my promises 
and example, at once began the work. 

“ When Sanballat and his followers learned that I 
was not inclined to listen to them, nor to be delayed 
in the work by their warnings of danger to myself, 
they prepared their army to forcibly prevent the 
work being done. But I armed the people so that in 
a moment’s notice they could lay aside their building 
tools and defend themselves with their weapons of 
war. Every man worked with his sword girded to 
his side, and the trumpeter was at all times by my 
side to sound the battle-call. 

I pressed the work with vigor, working from the 


298 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

rising of the morning until the stars appeared in the 
evening. I also endeavored to reform the abuses 
which had crept into the lives of the people since 
Ezra’s reformation. The nobles had become oppress- 
ors of their brethren and had exacted of them usury, 
so that they were compelled to part with their inherit- 
ances, and even sell themselves and their children into 
slavery to their own brethren. The desolations 
wrought by the enemies of Jerusalem in the trouble- 
some time of war had reduced them to this state of 
want, and it was a grievous sin for their richer or 
better protected brethren to take advantage of their 
need and grind them in the dust. 

“ When I heard of this I called a great assembly, 
and before them all, the nobles ranged on one side and 
the afflicted people on the other, said : ‘We, after our 
ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews which 
were sold unto the heathen ; and will ye even sell 
your brethren ? or shall they be sold unto us ? . . . It 
is not good that ye do : ought ye not to walk in the 
fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen 
our enemies? I likewise, and my brethren, and my 
servants, might exact of them money and corn : I 
pray you, let us leave off this usury. Restore, I pray 
you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vine- 
yards, their olive-yards, and their houses, also the 
hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the 
wine, and the oil, tliat ye exact of them.’ * 

*Neh, V, 8-11. 


CONQUERING DIFFICULTIES. 


299 


‘‘ The nobles were convicted of their sin, and es- 
pecially when they saw before them the large num- 
ber of men whom I and the wealthy brethren in 
Susa and Babylon had redeemed out of bondage to 
the Persians and Babylonians, and had brought them 
to the home of their fathers, giving them freedom, 
and without debt. The nobles therefore answered, 
‘We will restore them, and will require nothing of 
them ; so will we do as thou sayest.’ 

“I then called the priests and had the nobles give 
their oath in the most solemn manner to keep their 
promise. Then taking hold of the mantle covering 
my lap, I shook it vigorously and said, ‘ So God shake 
out every man from his house, and from his labor, 
that perforrnetli not this promise, even thus be he 
sliaken out, and emptied.’ 

“ A loud ‘ Amen ’ arose from the lips of the peo- 
ple, and songs of praise burst fortli, indicating their 

j‘>y- 

“ I established my court upon a liberal basis, after 
the style of my own king. Otherwise I could not 
have commanded the respect of the people about me. 
It had been the custom of the governor of Jerusalem 
to receive from the people a regular tribute of forty 
shekels, and the support of his table ; but I remitted 
these taxes and paid all my own expenses. During 
the twelve years I remained I fed by my own ‘bounty 
a hundred 'and fifty Jews and rulers, and all visitors 
who came from the surrounding nations to see how 


300 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

we prospered. Mj table daily required one ox, six 
choice sheep, great quantities of fowls, and other pro- 
visions in proportion, while every ten days the wine- 
vaults were replenished. 

“ Sanballat continued his efforts to disturb me. He 
even Organized a party of allies in Jerusalem. They 
were discontented noblemen whom I had been com- 
pelled tg rebuke for their evil deeds, and they learned 
all they could of my purposes, and betrayed them to 
Tobiah. 

“ 1, too, had my sources of information. I was 
not deceived by their smiles nor alarmed by their 
threats. I well knew how easy it might be to preju* 
dice the king against any one living in such state as I 
had assumed, but I trusted in being able to vindicate 
mj^self if brought to judgment. 

At length Sanballat determined to formally accuse 
me to the king. Helium, the chancellor, and Shim- 
sliai, the scribe, at the dictation of various magnates 
in the Syrian province, wrote in the Syrian language 
a letter to the king which they had indorsed by the 
various officials and societies representing the Per- 
sian authority in the province. This letter, the re- 
sult of Sanballat’s plotting, was really a formidable 
document, and would have been the destruction of an 
ordinary man.* This was the letter : ‘ Thy servants 
the men on this side the river, and at such a time. 
Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came 

* See vol. iii, Smith’s Bible Dictionary^ p. 2092, art. “ Nehemiah.” 


CONQUERING DIFFICULTIES. 


301 


up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building 
the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the 
walls thereof, and joined the foundations. Be it 
known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, 
and the walls set up again, then will they not pay 
toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage 
the revenue of the kings. hTow because we have 
maintenance from the king’s palace, and it was not 
meet for ns to see the king’s dishonor, therefore have 
we sent and certified the king ; that search may be 
made in the book of the records of thy fathers : so 
shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know 
that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto 
kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedi- 
tion with the same of old time : for which cause was 
this city destroyed. 'Wg certify the king that, if this 
city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by 
this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the 
river.’ * 

The letter, when read to the king, had the effect 
they desired. It was not a formal cliarge against me, 
but a grave suspicion founded on the character of the 
people. The readiness with which this province had 
lately followed Megabyzus in rebellion seemed to add 
force to it, as also my unusual generosity in maintain- 
ing so great hospitality at my own charges and in 
collecting no taxes whatever from the people for my 
own use. 

* Ezra iv, 11-16. 


302 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

‘‘ Artaxerxes at once ordered the following reply 
to be sent to the Persian officials : ‘ Peace, and at such 
a time. The letter which ye sent unto us hath been 
plainly read before me. And I commanded, and search 
hath been made, and it is found that this city of old 
time hath made insurrection against kings, and that 
rebellion and sedition have been made therein. There 
have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which 
have ruled over all countries beyond the river ; and 
toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them. Give 
ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, 
and that this city be not builded, until another com- 
mandment shall be given from me. Take heed now 
that ye fail not to do this : why should damage grow 
to the hurt of the kings ? ’ * 

‘^'VYhen Rehum and Shimshai received this letter 
they armed the soldiers of the governor of Samaria 
and marched to Jerusalem to stop the work. But 
when they arrived before the walls they found them 
completed, except the hanging of the gates, and that 
I was beyond their reach on my way to the court of 
the king, having left Jerusalem in charge of my 
brother Ilanani. Their trouble availed them nothing. 
They were too late in interfering, and it was now 
necessary for them to look to their own safety, for I 
not only had access to the king but also possessed his 
confidence. I entered the king’s gate able to present 
myself free from all appearance of deceit or rebellion. 

* Ezra iv, 17-22. 


CONQUERING DIFFICULTIES. 


303 


1 hud left the king by permission to do a certain work 
and to return within a given time. All this I had 
done, and was able to furnish sufficient and satisfac- 
tory explanation of my conduct. Thus I refuted the 
charges against my people and showed the animus of 
the Samaritans. I realized that my work in Jerusa- 
lem had only been begun, and determined, as soon as 
the king could spare me from the court, to ask per- 
mission to return and complete tlie work. 

“ Other excitements were disturbing the quiet of 
the Persian court. Megabyzus felt severely the mode 
of life forced on him at Cyrta. He endured it for five 
years, then escaped. The distance from Persia, the 
great extent of deserts lying between, and the im- 
mense expanse of ocean bordering that desert seemed 
to make it impossible for any one to succeed in elud- 
ing the guards. Every highway and harbor on the 
Persian Gulf was carefully watched to prevent his 
leaving Cyrta. Tlie guards determined to recapture 
him at any cost. 

There was no class of people in Arabia so terribly 
afflicted as the lepers. Their sufferings were excruci- 
ating, their appearance sickening, their habits disgust- 
ing. They were shunned by all people ; they were 
cast out of the cities, and on the highways, Avhen'they 
begged for alms, the importuned traveler, to be rid 
of their awful presence, would cast to them his gift 
and hasten on his way. They were recognized by 
their dress. Sometimes they moved in crowds. If 


304 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

their dress and prayer found no response the wretched 
appearance of their disease soon moved the heart of 
the one seeing them to pitj. Their fingers rotted off 
joint by joint. Their heads and bodies were covered 
with loathsome scabs. The flesh dropped away from 
their faces, exposing their jaw-bones and teeth. Ab- 
ject misery could find no more suitable form than that 
of the leper. r.. 

“ The regions of the Red Sea and of A /abia seemed 
to be especially cursed with this awful aisease, while 
the desert drought and the intense heat of the tropical 
sun added to the misery of the sufferers. 

‘‘ When Megabyzus escaped from his guards he 
somehow obtained the dress of a leper and began his 
long journey home. Every one on the road turned 
from him ; every one with alms threw them to him 
from a distance. AVith such miserable creatures as 
real lepers for his only companions he walked along 
the highways, past cities, and tli rough deserts, until 
he arrived at the city in which his own palace stood, 
superior in grandeur and luxury to all but the king’s. 

“ Tlie warrior-nobleman, who in youth, early man- 
hood, and ill middle age had traveled this highway in 
magnificent display at the head of armies, now walked 
through the dust alone and by stealth. He was dis- 
guised so as to be shunned as one of the most pitiable 
of men. 

“ Somehow he secured an entrance into his own 
palace, suddenly appearing without his disguise before 


CONQUERING DIFFICULTIES. 


305 


liis servants. They liailed his return with rapturous 
delight. His wife also received him joyfully, and 
even Amestris, the queen-mother, was glad because 
he had returned. These powerful friends so persist- 
ently importuned the king to pardon him that Artax- 
erxes yielded and received him once more favorably 
at court. From this time he dwelt in honor, being 
distinguish- d as the ablest man in war and in counsel 
of his time. I sat at the same banquets with him, and 
it was his pleasure to ask me many questions of mv 
people and give much valuable advice.” 


306 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CHAPTER XXYIII. 

THE CONSECRATION OP THE PEOPLE. 

TX the meantime I prepared to return to Jernsa- 

1 lem with a number of prominent Jews from 
Babylon, and with costly gifts for the service of the 
temple. I was anxious to return as soon as possible, 
for I learned that two parties were forming there. 
One of these was under the leadership of Ilariani, 
whom I left in my place. They were struggling to 
establish a pure theocracy as in the days of our fa- 
thers. The other was under the leadership of Elia- 
shib," the high-priest, who sought power through 
international diplomacy. 

“My purposes were now thoroughly understood 
by the king, and I felt that in the future it would 
be impossible for Sanballat or any number of Per- 
sian officers in Samaria to prejudice his mind against 
me. 

“ I was so fortunate as to find the registry of the 
children of Israel, and to locate every man who had 
returned to Jerusalem since the days of Zerubbabel. 
I now ordered the census to be taken, that every 
man might knbw his place. Those claiming to be 
priests, whose names could not be found in the regis- 
ter, were cast out as interlopers. When they com- 


THE COXSECRATION OF THE PEOPLE. 307 

plained of this treatment I replied that when a priest 
arose with Urim and Thummim to vindicate their 
claims, then and not until then should they eat of the 
most holy things. 

‘‘ The congregation, when numbered, was found to 
consist of forty-two tliousand three hundred and sixty 
Israelites, with seven thousand three hundred and 
thirty-seven servants, and two hundred and forty-five 
singing men and singing women, the remnant of a 
guild of singers from the days of Solomon. 

“The Jews had seven hundred and thirty-six 
horses, two hundred and forty-five mules, four hun- 
dred and thirty-five camels, and six thousand seven 
hundred and twenty asses. When the free-will offer- 
ings were weighed and numbered we learned that the 
gifts of the chiefs of the fathers amounted to twenty 
thousand drams of gold and two thousand two hun- 
dred pounds of silver, and garments for sixty-seven 
priests. Twenty thousand drams of gold and two 
thousand pounds of silver were given by the rest of 
the people, and I gave a thousand drams of gold, 
fifty basins, and garments for five hundred and thirty 
priests. 

“The priests, Levites, porters, singers, the various 
tribesmen, and the Hethinim were appointed to their 
respective cities, and there they abode. 

“ When all the arrangements were perfected, and I 
had received permission from the king, I returned to 
Jerusalem in company with Ezra and many distin- 


308 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

guished Babylonians in time to keep the glorious 
feast of tabernacles. 

“ Ezra reminded me that the revival of the ancient 
Israelitish spirit always began when the people turned 
to tlie law of God and honored it. 

‘‘JSTow the people assembled from all the cities and 
villages of tlie land. A great high platform was 
erected in the midst of the spacious square before the 
water-gate of the city. Ezra, whom all acknowledged 
to be the most learned Jew of his time, and whose 
reputation for holiness was the greater because he had 
copied the whole law written by the fathers and 
prophets, and who was also a priest appointed to 
handle sacred things, stood upon the platform with 
attendant priests, the most honorable as heads of 
priestly courses, on his right hand and on his left, 
with learned Levites stationed properly amid the con- 
gregation. In this manner Ezra read to the people 
of the law of God for six hours, and the Levites ex- 
plained all which the people did not in first hearing 
understand. 

“ When Ezra first rose and opened the book all 
the people stood up, and when Ezra began with a 
prayer the people responded, ‘Amen, Amen,’ and 
lifted up their hands, bowing their heads, and with 
faces turned toward the ground worshiped God. When 
they heard the words of the law they wept ; then 
Ezra, myself, and the Levites that carried the words 
to all the assembly stilled the weeping of the people. 


THE CONSECRATION OF THE PEOPLE. 


309 


saying : ‘ This day is holy unto the Lord your God ; 
mourn not, nor weep .... Go your way, eat the fat, 
and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for 
whom nothing is prepared : for this day is holy unto 
our Lord : neither be ye sorry ; for the joy of the 
Lord is your strengtli.’ * Tlie people therefore ceased 
their grieving and returned to their homes to feast, 
and in their joy to send gifts to all the poor. 

On the second day the chief of the fathers, the 
priests, and the Levites came to Ezra to learn the law 
concerning the proper celebration of the feast, as 
Moses commanded, and he read to them that the 
children of Israel should dwell in booths in this feast 
and that they should proclaim in all their cities and 
in Jerusalem also that the people should go forth 
unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, pine 
branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and the 
branches of thick trees, and of these should make 
their booths. 

^‘When the people were informed of this they 
went forth and gathered branches and made their 
booths upon their house-roofs, in the open courts of 
their houses, in the court of the temple, in the open 
street where Ezra had read the law, and in the street 
of the gate of Ephraim. All the people sat under the 
booths they had made, and Jerusalem was filled with 
gladness. For seven days they did this, and in all 
the history of their fathers there was no account of a 
* Neh. viii, 9, 10. 


310 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


stricter obedience to tins law than on this notable 
occasion. On the eighth day they closed the feast 
by a most solemn assembly, as the ancient law com- 
manded. 

“ On the twenty-fourth day of the month the con- 
gregation of Israel was again assembled in the great 
square in which the lofty platform had been erected. 
But this time they were fasting, and, having laid aside 
their fine clothes, were dressed in sackcloth, while 
earth was sprinkled upon them, and all strangers were 
separated from them ; for this was the gathering of 
Israel to enter into covenant with the Lord. 

‘‘ The Levites were divided into two classes, one 
class to lead in the confessions, the other to lead in the 
praises. For a quarter of the day they read out of 
the book of the law, then spent an equal number of 
hours in confession and in worshiping ; then the 
Levites with a loud voice called upon God, beseeching 
his blessing, after which they called upon the people 
to bless the Lord, saying, ‘Stand up and bless the 
Lord your God, for ever and ever : and blessed be 
(let them bless) thy glorious name, which is^ exalted 
above all blessing and praise.’ Then as all the people 
arose and listened the Levites pronounced the follow- 
ing prelude to their articles of covenant : 

“ ‘ Thou art the Lord, even thou alone ; thou hast 
made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their 
host, the earth and all things that are thereon, the 
seas and all that is in them, and thou preservest them 


THE CONSECRATION OF THE PEOPLE. 311 

all ; and the host of heaven worshipeth thee. Thou 
art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and 
broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and 
gavest him the name of Abraham ; and foundest his 
heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with 
him to give tlie land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, 
the Arnorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and 
the Girgashite, even to give it unto his seed, and hast 
performed thy words ; for thou art righteous. And 
thou sawest the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, 
and heardest their cry by the Ped Sea ; and showedst 
signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his serv- 
ants, and on all the people of his land ; for thou 
knewest they dealt proudly against tliem ; and didst 
get thee a name, as it is this day. And thou didst 
divide the sea before them, so that they went through 
the midst of tlie sea on the dry land ; and their pur- 
suers thou didst cast into the depths, as a stone into 
the mighty waters. Moreover thou leddest them in 
a pillar of cloud by day ; and in a pillar of fire by 
night, to give them light in the way wherein they 
should go. Thou earnest down also upon Mount 
Sinai, and spakest witli them from heaven, and gavest 
them right judgments and true laws, good statutes- 
and commandments : and madest known unto them 
thy holy Sabbath, and commandedst them command- 
ments, and statutes, and a law, by the hand of Moses 
thy servant: and gavest them bread from heaven for 
their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them 


312 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

out of the rock for their thirst, and coinmandedst 
them that they should go in to possess the land which 
thou hadst lifted up thine hand to give them. But 
they and onr fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their 
neck, . . . and in their rebellion appointed a captain to 
return to their bondage : but thou art a God ready to 
pardon, gracious and full of compassion, slow to an- 
ger, and plenteous in mercy, and forsookest them not. 
Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and 
said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of 
Egypt, and had wrought great provocations ; yet thou 
in thy manifold mercies .forsookest them not in the 
wilderness: the pillar of cloud departed not from 
over them by day, to lead them in the way ; neither 
the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the 
way wherein they should go. Thou gavest also thy 
good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy 
manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for 
their thirst. Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them 
in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing ; their 
clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. 
Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and peoples, 
which thou didst allot after their portions : so tliey 
possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king 
of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. 
Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of 
heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning 
which thou didst say to their fathers, that they should 
go in to possess it. So the children went in and pos- 


THE CONSECRATION OF THE PEOPLE. 


313 


sessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the 
inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest 
them into their hands, with their kings, and the 
peoples of the land, that they might do with them 
as they would. And they took fenced cities, and a 
fat land, and possessed houses full of all good things, 
cisterns hewn out, vineyards, and olive-yards, and 
fruit trees in abundance : so they did eat, and were 
filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy 
great goodness, i^’evertheless they were disobedient, 
and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind 
their back, and slew thy prophets which testified 
against them to turn them again unto thee, and they 
wrought great provocations. Therefore thou deliv- 
eredst them into the hand of their adversaries, who 
distressed them : and in the time of their trouble, 
when they cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven ; 
and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest 
them saviors who saved them out of the hand of 
their adversaries. But after they had rest, they did 
evil again before thee : therefore leftest thou them in 
the hand of their enemies, so that they had the do- 
minion over them: yet when they returned, and cried 
unto thee, thou heardest from heaven ; and many times 
didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies ; and 
testifiedst against tliein, that thou raightest bring them 
again unto thy law : yet they dealt proudly, and 
hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned 
against thy judgments (which if a man do, he shall 


814 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

live in tliem), and withdrew the shoulder, and hard- 
ened their neck, and would not hear. Yet many 
years didst thou bear with them, and testifiedst against 
them by thy spirit through thy prophets : yet w^nild 
tliey not give ear : therefore gavest thou them into the 
hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless in 
thy manifold mercies thou didst not make a full end 
of them, nor forsake them ; for thou art a gracious 
and merciful God. Now tlierefore, our God, the 
great, the inighty, and the terrible God, who keepest 
covenant and mercy, let not all the travail seem 
little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our 
kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on 
our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy 
people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto 
this day. Ilowbeit thou art just in all that is come 
upon us ; for thou hast dealt truly, but we have done 
wickedly : neither have our kings, our princes, our 
priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened 
unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, where- 
with thou didst testify against them. For they have 
not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great 
goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and 
fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned 
they from their wicked works. Behold, we are serv- 
ants this day, and as for the land that thou gavest 
unto our fathers to eat the fruits thereof and the good 
thereof, behold, we are servants in it. And it yieldetli 
much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over 


THE CONSECRATION OF THE PEOPLE. 315 

iis because of our sins : also tliej have power over our 
bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we 
are in great distress. And yet for all this we make a 
sure covenant, and wi’ite it, and our princes, our Le- 
vites, and our priests, seal unto it.’ * 

‘‘ The articles of covenant were : They would not 
intermarry with the peoples of the land ; they would 
neither buy nor sell on the Sabbath day ; they would 
annually pay the third of a shekel for the service of 
the temple ; according to the lot cast the priests and 
Levites would bring wood to the temple for the use 
of the altar ; they would bring in the first-fruits of 
field, flock, and family ; their tithes and their offer- 
ings should be faithfully delivered to the proper offi- 
cers. 

“To this they entered their names \vith an oath, 
and a curse upon the one violating it. I was the first 
to sign this covenant, then the priests, nobles, Levites, 
and the heads of the families of the people. It was 
a glorious day, and when the work was completed, 
leaving Hanani to rule in my place, I once more re- 
turned to the king’s court to await the next opportu- 
nity for bringing our people nearer to their God.” 

* Nell, ix, 6-38 (Revised Version). 


316 thrilling scenes IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


CPIAPTEK XXIX. 

THE COMPLETED WORK. 

^''T^WELVE years passed by since I began my 
X work in Jerusalem, and the work prospered 
wonderfully so far as the temporal welfare of tlie 
people was concerned. But rumors were coming to 
me that all was not well because of the haughtiness 
of the nobles and their fondness for the customs of 
their heathen neighbors. 

“Pethahiah, the king’s messenger, who kept the 
king informed of all that took place in Jerusalem, 
brought tidings which once more led me to visit Jeru- 
Salem and exercise authority to suppress the wrongs 
being done. Hanani was only a lieutenant, and was 
browbeaten by the audacious high-priest, who headed 
the party opposed to the severe discipline inaugurated 
by myself as governor. It was a strange spectacle, in 
which the champion of the truth, according to the 
law and the prophets, was a political officer of the 
king’s household, while the great adversary was the 
one who, by right of birth and descent, held the posi- 
tion of chief religious teacher, and who alone of all 
men was allowed once a year to enter the holy of 
holies to seek forgiveness from God for the sinful 
people. 


THE COMPLETED WORK. 


317 


‘‘But Hanani was not standing alone; for tliere 
suddenly arose in Jerusalem a prophet called of God, 
as was Elijah, who pronounced judgiuent against the 
people because of their wickedness, and sought to win 
them by the promises to the obedient from the Most 
High. 

“ The coming of the prophet created a great excite- 
ment, for no propliet had arisen to declare the truth 
since the time of Zerubbabel, when Ilaggai and Zech- 
ariah prophesied. All the time Ezra was preparing 
to present the ancient Scriptures to the people he 
was working without this special form of divine illu- 
mination. lie was inspired as a scribe, but he did 
not dream dreams nor behold visions ; heuce he could 
not assume the prophet’s garb or functions. 

“ But now one had come to fill this ofiice. It was 
Malachi. He began his work by loudly declaiming 
against the priests and nobles — for judgment must be- 
gin at tlie house of God — tlien against the people. 

“I heard of the startling earnestness of Malachi 
with joy, and I was eager to reach Jerusalem before 
his voice should be suppressed by his enemies, to 
effect the reforms needed to free tlie city from the 
crimes denounced by the prophet. 

“ There were also the services of the dedication of 
the walls to be observed ; for the gates wore all set 
up, the porters were guarding them, and the power 
of their enemies about them was no longer to be 
feared. 


318 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


And yet, even now, the danger of relapse from 
true religion was as great as before. Sanballat, un- 
able to overcome them by threats or violence, now 
sought participation in their privileges, and by unit- 
ing their principal houses in marriage to obtain this 
same end. 

“ When I arrived in Jerusalem I was welcomed witli 
all the public honors which could be given by those 
who loved me for my work’s sake, and feared me for 
my power. They well knew what I would do, for I 
had established the covenant to which they had sub- 
scribed when I had been with them before, and they 
knew they had violated the terms of that covenant. 

“The first man to feel my condemnation was the 
pi’iest Eliashib, who had the oversight of the cham- 
bers of the temple. lie had violated the law of sep- 
aration from the enemies of Israel by being allied 
unto Tobiah, the Ammonite. He had taken the 
chamber of the temple in which the meat-offerings, 
the frankincense, the sacred vessels, the tithes of corn, 
the new wine, and the oil, which belonged to the Le- 
vites, the singers, and the porters, for his own use. 
He also took the room where the offerings of the 
priests were kept, and gave this chamber to Tobiah, 
who had fitted it up for his own pleasure to enable 
him the more conveniently to transact his schemes 
for personal profit. 

“ 1 refused to tolerate such sacrilege, and ordered 
his servants to cast out all the stuff of the Ammonite. 


THE COMPLETED WORK. 


319 


Then the Levites cleansed tlie chamber and put back 
into it the tithes and the offerings for which it had 
been used before its desecration. 

“ The next to feel my wrath w^as the grandson of 
Eliashib, who had married the daughter of Sanballat 
in direct violation of the law of mixed marriages. It 
seemed to be an extreme measure for me to thus 
offend the powerful ruler of Samaria, but I knew no 
distinction of persons. The same law which touched 
the poor also touched the rich, and the most princely 
family in Jerusalem had no more right to sin than 
had the poorest. I chased him out of my presence 
and would not allow him any part whatever in the 
glory of the reformed city. 

‘‘ Then I took hold of the Jews who had married 
wives of the daughters of Ashdod, Ammon, and 
Moab. Some I reviled for their treachery toward 
tlie covenant they had entered into with God. Some 
1 punished by smiting them and depriving tliem of 
their hair, in which they took so much pride. By thus 
humiliating them I gave them to understand that I 
was determined to enforce the covenant. 

‘‘Then I noticed that the tithes had not been 
brought in. I discharged the officers having charge 
of the work, and appointed others who with honesty 
and diligence would attend to this important duty. 
The Levites who had been compelled to go to their 
fields to obtain bread were invited to return, with the 
assurance that they would be supported. 


320 THRILLING SCENES IN THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 

‘‘The next class I attacked was that of the mer- 
chants. Men from Tyre brought fish to Jerusalem, 
and some brought all manner of wares which they 
sold on the Sabbath day. Some of the children of 
Judah went into their fields and gathered tlieir har- 
vest, some trod their wine-presses, and some brought 
victuals into the city, all on the Sabbath day, until 
the sanctity of the Sabbath was forgotten, and all men, 
Jews and strangers, were intent on accumulating 
money. 

“When the darkness of the evening before the 
Sabbath came on I commanded the gates of the city to 
be closed and that no one be allowed to enter the city 
with fish, victuals, or wares. Once or twice the mer- 
chants came and established their booths outside the 
gates, but I threatened to arrest them if they did not 
cease. Fearing me they came no more. Thus Sab- 
bath desecration was stopped. 

“ When tlie violations of the law were thus sup- 
pressed and the people were turned into a new way 
of living a festival was held to honor God for the 
blessings he so graciously bestowed upon us. 

“ It is not necessary for me to tell you about that 
festival of last year, for you were prominent in making 
it a success ; and by your joy I was convinced that you 
would ever be in sympathy with whatever advanced 
tlie glory of God. 

“In a few days 1 shall return to my duties at the 
king’s court in Shushan. I go feeling confident that 


THE COMPLETED WORK. 


321 


my work here has been a success, and that our people 
will increase in righteousness even until Messiah 
comes. 

“We older men have enjoyed your youthful en- 
thusiasm. We have been liappy in telling you how 
God has led us as a people. Now we bid you fare- 
"well. May the blessing of Jehovah abide with yon 
forever ! 

At these words we could hardly suppress our emo- 
tions. We thanked them for their kindness to us, and 
pledged our lives to the good work which they had 
begun. Then we left the governor’s palace and re- 
turned to our homes. 

Well do I recall that glorious festival. The Le- 
vites, of whom there were two hundred and eighty- 
four, were gathered together under the command 
of Uzzi, and they brought with them their harps, 
cymbals, and psalteries. The singers, and their 
sons, who had built themselves homes in the vil- 
lages about the city, also came together in a body 
under their leader Jezrahiah. The priests sanctified 
themselves and purified by sacrifices the people, the 
gates, and the wall. Then Nehemiah brought all of 
the princes of Jndah upon the wall, and, dividing the 
host into two divisions, the magnificent march begun. 
It was the great day of triumph so long looked for, 
the fulfillment of the promises of God to their fathers. 

The one division, with whom were the venerable 

Ezra and half the number of princes of Judah, with 
21 


322 THRILLING SCENES IX THE PERSIAN KINGDOM. 


trumpets and musical instruments, went on tlie riglit 
liand, while the second division, led by l^ehemiah, and 
half tlie people upon the wall, went toward the left, 
until they joined again in the court of the house of 
the Lord, where they offered their great sacrifices, and 
rejoiced with so much joy that the sound of their 
shoutings, trumpets, and songs were heard a great 
way off. 

Once after Nehemiah’s farewell words to us we saw 
him. It was when he began his return to Persia. 
With his retinue he offered sacrifices upon the great 
altar before the temple, Ezra officiating. Then, sur- 
rounded by his beloved friends, Ezra the priest, Iddo 
the treasurer, Malachi the prophet, Mordecai the 
counselor, Hanani the deputy-governor, and tliousands 
of his countrymen, he said farewell to the scene of 
his labors. Escorted by a large troop of brilliantly 
equi[)ped horsemen he passed over the hills on the 
road toward Damascus, to receive honors all along the 
route to Persia as the favorite of the great king. 
May his memory be blessed forever ! 


NOTE BY A LATER SCRIBE. 

Thus endeth tlie record of Ahban the faithful 
scribe. Much time has passed since then, and Ahban 
has been gathered to his fathers. The time when 
Nehemiah returned to Persia was a notable time in 
histoiy. In Greece, Plato was just born. In the 


THE COMPLETED WORK. 


323 


battle of Potidaea, Socrates, a bold soldier in the 
prime of manhood, had just saved the life of the 
wounded Alcibiades. In Pome there was great 
rivalry between the two orders of citizens. Tlie 
patricians were compelled to grant more j^rivileges to 
the plebeians, and the laws of the twelve tables were 
being enacted. In every country the rights of men as 
individuals were being recognized. The Greek idea 
of civilization was supplanting the Persian. In Jeru- 
salem the word of God was honored as in the days 
of David ; and Malachi, the last of the prophets, with 
his gaze heavenward, and in rapturous tones, spoke of 
the coming of the Sun of righteousness, and of the 
dreadful day of the Lord, when the children of the 
Most High should grow up as calves of tlie stall, but 
the wicked be trodden under foot as men tread upon 
ashes. From that day of promise and warning the 
faithful Jews, whether in Jerusalem, Babylon, Susa, 
the isles of the Greeks, or in the uttermost parts of 
the earth, have waited in joyful expectation the com- 
ing of their glorious Messiah. 


THE END. 



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